Turkey detains dozens in nationwide crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists

Turkish authorities have detained dozens of people in a nationwide crackdown targeting LGBTQ+ activists, organisations and venues, with at least 63 people reportedly taken into custody, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera.

The arrests came after police raided gay bars, offices and the homes of activists in major cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Mersin on Sunday. The operation was conducted as part of a government campaign dubbed “My Family is Safe”.

Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors were investigating 162 individuals, nine associations and 13 businesses as part of the operation, saying the move was aimed at protecting children, family and public order.

The raids also targeted current and former members of LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness organisations. LGBTQ+ rights group Kaos GL said nearly 50 rights defenders had either been detained or subjected to legal proceedings involving questioning or detention.

The crackdown continued on Tuesday, when police detained protesters gathered outside Istanbul’s main courthouse to demand the release of those arrested during the weekend raids.

Protesters chanted “Long live the struggle for freedom” and unfurled a banner reading “Being LGBTQ is not a crime”, according to AFP. Police made several arrests during the demonstration.

Rights groups have accused the Turkish government of intensifying restrictions on the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. The Human Rights Association described the campaign as “state-led discrimination” and an effort to dismantle civil society.

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, also expressed concern over reports of arrests, raids and the blocking of websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ and human rights organisations.

According to O’Flaherty’s statement, Turkish authorities are conducting operations against 162 individuals, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.

Same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, but LGBTQ+ rights groups have long faced restrictions. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly criticised LGBTQ+ groups and linked them to what his government describes as threats to family values and the country’s declining birth rate.

The European Parliament’s rapporteur for Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, condemned the latest detentions, describing them as an escalation in restrictions on LGBTQ+ groups.

Istanbul Pride has been banned since 2015, and authorities have repeatedly dispersed attempts to hold Pride gatherings in the city.