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.
12 Articles
12 Articles
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…
The raids targeted dozens of individuals, organizations and businesses in 15 provinces. Critics say they are a growing pressure on civil society, while Ankara defends the crackdown as part of its policies to protect traditional values.
62 in custody: Courts jails LGBTQ activists as Turkey crackdown widens
Turkish courts have remanded more LGBTQ+ activists and supporters in custody, bringing the total number of those detained after a weekend crackdown to 62, the human rights organization Lawyers for Justice (AIH) said on Wednesday. TASR reports this according to an AFP report. Police raided gay bars and the homes of LGBTQ+ activists in the early hours of Sunday. The search warrants covered 162 individuals, nine organizations and 13 companies in a …
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