At least 31 people remanded in custody in Turkey amid crackdown on LGBTQ+ groups
In Turkey, at least 31 people have been remanded in custody as part of the authorities' campaign against LGBTQ+ groups. Police also detained at least 126 protesters in Ankara and Istanbul who opposed the recent raids and detentions, Cyprus Mail reports, citing lawyers.
Detentions in several provinces
Those most recently remanded in custody include five transgender women in Ankara and 26 people in the southern province of Mersin. Legal proceedings concerning other detainees are ongoing, lawyers said.
Human rights groups and opposition representatives described these actions as an escalation of the campaign against the LGBTQ+ community. According to them, over the past week authorities have raided association offices, blocked websites and remanded suspects in custody in several provinces.
On Monday, a court in the western province of Izmir ordered 18 people remanded in custody as part of the same operation, lawyers said.
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Protests and the Council of Europe’s response
Police prevented a group of activists from making a press statement near a courthouse in Istanbul. In Ankara, law enforcement officers dispersed participants in a pro-LGBTQ+ protest as they tried to gather.
The protests took place after large-scale raids against LGBTQ+ associations in several Turkish provinces as part of an operation called “My Family Is Safe.” The government says the operation is aimed at protecting children and family values.
Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed concern over detentions, raids and internet restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ organizations and human rights defenders. He said that references to family values or child protection cannot in themselves justify restrictions on human rights and called for the release of people detained for human rights or civic activities.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Sunday that investigations coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydın and Mersin involve 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses in 15 provinces. Turkish authorities have also blocked access to websites and social media pages of a number of LGBTQ+ associations, individuals and independent media outlets, including the X account of Amnesty International’s Turkish branch.
