Key facts
- Turkish authorities have arrested dozens of LGBTQ+ activists and journalists.
- Raids targeted LGBTQ+ rights organizations, HIV-advocacy groups, nightclubs, and homes in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydın, and Mersin.
- Prosecutors accused groups of violating laws on obscenity and NGO governance.
- The operation is titled "My Family is Safe" and aims to "protect our children, the institution of the family and the social order."
- Human Rights Watch described the crackdown as the widest on LGBTQ+ people in recent years.
- At least 150 demonstrators were detained in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Turkish authorities have carried out a significant crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community, arresting dozens of activists and journalists across multiple cities including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. The raids, which began early Sunday, targeted LGBTQ+ rights organizations, HIV-advocacy groups, nightclubs, and private residences. Prosecutors cited accusations of obscenity and violations of laws governing NGOs as justification for the actions.
Video released by the Turkish interior ministry showed police confiscating rainbow flags and detaining individuals. Istanbul prosecutors reported seizing digital equipment, drugs, and a firearm. Human Rights Watch described the operation as the most extensive crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in recent years, with officials accusing authorities of attempting to criminalize advocacy.
In response to the detentions, protests erupted. In Izmir, riot police used teargas against demonstrators, while at least 150 protesters were detained in Istanbul on Tuesday, and dozens more in Ankara. Demonstrators unfurled banners and chanted slogans, with some arrests occurring outside a courthouse in Istanbul.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated the operation, named "My Family is Safe," was intended to protect children, the family institution, and social order, linking it to a directive by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to boost birthrates. However, rights groups have questioned the effectiveness of arresting LGBTQ+ activists in protecting families, particularly in a country with high rates of domestic violence and femicide.
While homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, prosecutors have increasingly used broad "obscenity" charges against LGBTQ+ individuals and groups. A draft amendment to the penal code that would have criminalized promoting behavior contrary to "biological sex and general morality" was withdrawn last year. The Genç LGBTI+ organization also faces charges related to "family values."