At least 162 people have been detained across Turkey following a series of coordinated police raids on the offices and homes of community members and organizations. The operation, spanning at least 12 provinces, is being conducted under the official pretext of an investigation into "prostitution and obscenity," according to prosecutors in Istanbul and Ankara.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office confirmed that 26 people were detained in its operations, which also resulted in the seizure of digital equipment and a firearm. In a separate action, prosecutors in Ankara detained a further 21 people as part of an investigation specifically targeting the prominent LGBTQ+ association, Kaos GL.
However, Kaos GL reports a higher number, stating that at least 50 activists have been taken into custody, with many arrested during police raids on their homes. Alongside the physical raids, authorities have also blocked access to dozens of websites and social media accounts linked to queer organizations and advocates, further isolating the community from its support networks.
A Campaign for 'Family Values'
This crackdown is part of a wider government campaign titled "My Family is Safe," which President Tayyip Erdoğan has linked to his "Decade of Family and Population" initiative. The government claims these actions are necessary to protect traditional family values, tackle falling birth rates, and prevent children from being "inappropriately influenced" on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Turkish Justice Minister, Akin Gurlek, indicated the scale of the operation is vast, with judicial proceedings initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.
Local and International Condemnation
Human rights organizations have sharply condemned the operation as a politically motivated attack. "The real name of this operation is not 'My Family is Safe'; it is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society," the Turkish Human Rights Association stated on X (formerly Twitter).
The sentiment was echoed in Brussels, where the European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, described the arrests as a "shocking escalation" of repression. "This imposition of a moral agenda is a blatant violation of fundamental rights and Turkey's international commitments taking the country down a dark path," he said.
This latest move is part of a continuing trend of hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community in Turkey, which has seen Pride parades consistently banned and official rhetoric become increasingly harsh in recent years.
