Police conduct raids against LGBTQ+ activists in Türkiye
In Türkiye, police and gendarmerie conducted raids and detentions in 15 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara, targeting the homes and meeting places of LGBTQ+ activists. The authorities linked the operations to protecting the traditional family, Cyprus Mail reports, citing Reuters.
Proceedings against 162 suspects
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on X that legal proceedings had been initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 companies as part of the My Family is Safe operations. He did not specify the number of people detained.
According to the minister, the operations are part of the Decade of the Family policy proclaimed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said the policy is intended to protect children, the institution of the family and public order.
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Raids in Istanbul and Kaos GL's response
In Istanbul, law enforcement raided a gay bar and a nightclub that the LGBTQ+ community considered a safe space. This is evidenced by videos circulated by pro-government media. A men's hammam was also targeted in the operation.
LGBT rights organization Kaos GL said that more than ten of its members were detained following searches of their homes. According to the organization, law enforcement officers also searched its office. Kaos GL stated that the organization is mainly prosecuted on accusations of offending public morality.
On the previous day, at the authorities' request, Türkiye blocked Kaos GL's account on X, as well as the pages of about 15 other LGBT organizations and activists. Homosexuality is not criminalized under Turkish law. Istanbul parliamentarian Özgül Saki from the left-wing pro-Kurdish DEM party said that existence cannot be banned or stopped, and that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.
