ISTANBUL — Turkish authorities detained 26 individuals and searched the offices of six LGBTQ+ associations in a series of raids across the country, prosecutors announced. The crackdown is part of a government campaign aimed at protecting what officials describe as "family values."
Operations took place over the weekend across 12 provinces, targeting 38 suspects. Authorities seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol, and a firearm, the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office reported.
The Ankara-based LGBTQ+ association Kaos GL reported a higher number of detentions, stating that at least 50 activists were taken into custody. More than 10 of these individuals were detained during police raids on their homes.
Authorities also blocked access to dozens of websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ organizations, activists, and rights advocates.
The government campaign, titled "My Family is Safe," aligns with President Tayyip Erdogan's broader initiative, the "Decade of Family and Population," which seeks to address falling birth rates and an aging population in Turkey.
Rights groups have accused the Turkish government of increasingly targeting the LGBTQ+ community in recent years through hardened rhetoric and new restrictions.
The Turkish Human Rights Association said the operation amounts to "state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society."
The prosecutor's office stated that evidence indicated children and underage youths were being inappropriately influenced on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek confirmed that investigations coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin, and Mersin involved judicial proceedings against 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.
