Police in Turkey use tear gas against LGBTQ+ protesters
In the Turkish city of Izmir, police used tear gas against participants in a protest against increased pressure on LGBTQ+ activists. This was reported by France 24, citing an AFP photographer.
About 200 people gathered in Izmir following nationwide raids carried out by police the previous day. According to AFP, demonstrators protested against the detentions and chanted slogans in support of those detained. Police detained two protesters, including a lawyer.
Raids and the authorities’ position
Dozens of people were detained during raids in different regions of Turkey. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said that the operation was part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “Decade of the Family” initiative, which, he said, is aimed at protecting children, the institution of the family and public order.
The organizers of the protest in Izmir rejected this explanation. They said that protecting the family does not require detaining people in their homes early in the morning, searches at organizations, the criminalization of human rights defenders, or investigations related to the identity and very existence of LGBTQ+ people.
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EU reaction and account blocking
The European Commission expressed concern over detentions and legal proceedings involving LGBTQ+ activists, human rights organizations and companies. European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand called on Ankara to ensure respect for human rights.
According to Turkey’s Freedom of Expression Association, Ifod, several accounts on X and Instagram belonging to human rights groups and media outlets were blocked in Turkey at the authorities’ request following the raids. They included the pages of the Evrensel newspaper, Amnesty International Turkey, Academics for Peace, and the Media and Law Studies Association. On Monday, according to Ifod, some of these accounts were blocked, while over the weekend X restricted access to the pages of more than a dozen Turkish LGBTQ+ and human rights organizations, including Kaos GL.
Same-sex relationships are legal in Turkey; however, according to France 24, hostile attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people remain widespread in the country.
