Authorities in Turkey detained 26 people and searched the offices of six LGBTQ+ associations during a series of raids, prosecutors said. The operations were part of a campaign the government claims is aimed at protecting “family values”.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office reported that the operations were carried out across 12 provinces against 38 suspects over the weekend. During the raids, authorities seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm.
An Ankara‑based LGBTQ+ association, Kaos GL, stated that at least 50 activists had been detained, a higher figure than the 38 cited by the prosecutor’s office. The group added that more than ten activists were taken during police raids on their homes. In addition, authorities blocked access to dozens of websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTI+ organisations, activists and advocates.
The crackdown, dubbed “My Family is Safe,” comes as President Tayyip Erdogan promotes a “Decade of Family and Population” initiative designed to address falling birth rates and an aging demographic. Rights groups have accused the Turkish government of increasingly targeting the LGBTQ+ community through hardening rhetoric and restrictions. The Turkish Human Rights Association said the operation is state‑led discrimination, a politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society. The prosecutor’s office said evidence indicated that children and underage youths were being inappropriately influenced on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said investigations coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin involved judicial proceedings against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.
.jpeg?trim=0,11,0,11&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
