Turkish authorities have detained dozens of people in a coordinated nationwide crackdown targeting LGBTQ+ organisations, activists and venues as the government intensifies its campaign to promote traditional family values.
The raids were carried out early Sunday, September 13, across several provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin. Police searched association offices, businesses and the homes of some LGBTQ+ activists.
Turkey’s Justice Minister, Akin Gurlek, said legal proceedings had been initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.
Authorities said the operation, known as “My Family is Safe,” was launched as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s broader “Decade of Family and Population” initiative, which seeks to address Turkey’s declining birth rate and ageing population.
According to the Justice Ministry, investigators were examining allegations including prostitution, obscenity, drug-related offences and activities allegedly exposing children and young people to inappropriate content.
Police reportedly seized drugs, digital devices, smuggled alcohol and a firearm during some of the searches. Authorities also blocked access to several websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ organisations and activists.
The number of people detained has varied between official and rights-group accounts. Reuters reported that at least 47 people had been detained, while LGBTQ+ organisation Kaos GL said at least 50 activists had been arrested, including people detained during raids on their homes.
The crackdown has drawn criticism from human rights organisations, which accused the Turkish government of using the protection of family values as a justification for suppressing LGBTQ+ groups and independent civil society.
The Turkish Human Rights Association described the operation as state-led discrimination, while European officials also condemned the arrests and restrictions as a serious escalation against LGBTQ+ rights.
The latest operation comes amid growing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and restrictions in Turkey under President Erdogan’s government. Authorities have increasingly linked the promotion of traditional family structures to efforts to reverse the country’s declining birth rate.
The government, however, maintains that its actions are focused on protecting children, families and public order rather than targeting individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
