Courts Jails LGBTQ Activists as Turkey Crackdown Widens
Courts have remanded 62 people in custody as authorities widen a crackdown that detained more than 200 suspects, lawyers said.
- On Wednesday, Turkish courts remanded 62 LGBTQ activists and supporters into custody following a weekend crackdown, as part of a government operation that has detained more than 200 people across multiple provinces.
- Justice Minister Akin Gurlek defended the raids as a bid to protect "children and the institution of the family" under an operation dubbed "My Family is Safe," following the government's declaration of 2026 as the "Decade of the Family."
- Sunday police raids targeted 162 individuals across 15 provinces, triggering protests in Ankara and Istanbul where authorities detained at least 126 people, while also blocking dozens of social media accounts belonging to rights groups.
- Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty said "family values" cannot justify human rights restrictions, while Nacho Sanchez Amor described the arrests as "a shocking escalation of repression" drawing criticism from the European Union.
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the LGBTQ community as a "deviant" movement of "perverts," and despite same-sex relations being legal in Turkey, hostility remains widespread at the highest levels of government.
22 Articles
22 Articles
The mass crackdown, which has drawn international condemnation, is part of the "Decade of the Family" campaign declared by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aimed at "protecting our children, the institution of the family and the social order."
Courts jails LGBTQ activists as Turkey crackdown widens
The move came as authorities broadened an operation against the LGBTQ community in which more than 200 people were detained, sparking a backlash from rights groups at home and abroad. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who heads an Islamo-conservative government, has described the LGBTQ community as a "deviant" movement of "perverts". His justice minister defended the raids as a bid to protect "children and the institution of the family". In the …
Sharia Raid in Turkey: LGBTQ+ suspects arrested in crackdown
Turkish authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown targeting the LGBTQ+ community, with judicial proceedings initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces. The operation, carried out on September 13, 2026, included raids on LGBTQ+ organisations, activists’ homes, gay bars, nightclubs and a hammam allegedly linked to prostitution. Six LGBTQ+ association offices were searched, while access to numerou…
Al-Monitor
Cyprus MailTurkey jails 31 in LGBTQ+ crackdown, detains 126 protesters
ISTANBUL, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities arrested at least 31 people pending trial on Tuesday as part of a government campaign targeting LGBTQ+ groups, while police detained at least 126 people during protests in Ankara and Istanbul against recent raids and arrests, lawyers said.The arrests marked the latest escalation in what rights groups and opposition figures have described as a widening campaign against the LGBTQ+ community, with a…
Homosexuality is not a criminal offense in Turkey. But that hasn’t stopped authorities from launching a sweeping crackdown on LGBTQI+ organizations, activists, meeting places, and businesses. Within days, at least 62 people were taken into custody, more than 100 protesters were arrested, and dozens of websites and media accounts were […] Turkey: In the name of “family,” LGBTQI+ rights on the dock - pontosnews.gr
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