Turkish police launched a coordinated crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness groups in an early-morning operation spanning five provinces, detaining dozens of people and breaking into association offices and popular hangouts.
The raids began at approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday and took place in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin, according to multiple reports. Police targeted both current and former members of several prominent LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness groups. The organizations' websites were blocked during the raids, a detail reported by one news outlet.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on social media that the investigation covered 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses. He said the operation was designed to "protect children, the institution of the family, and public order," citing a 10-year executive order issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan relating to families and children.
"As per the duty to protect families and children given to the state by the constitution, no criminal organization, abuse network or illegal activity which targets children, youths or families will be tolerated!" Gurlek wrote. He also said that the associations had been found to receive significant funding from international sources and agencies.
The Justice and Development Party, Turkey's religious conservative governing party, has become increasingly vocal against LGBTQ+ groups in recent years, particularly in the lead-up to elections. In 2015, the party banned Istanbul Pride, an annual event that had attracted tens of thousands of people in previous years. Since then, authorities have violently dispersed any attempted gatherings for Pride, according to reports.
Criticism from human rights groups
The Human Rights Association condemned the raids, describing the investigation as a "political operation." In a statement, the association said: "This is not a judicial investigation; it is a political operation aimed at forcing society into a monolithic family model and purging LGBTI+ and independent civil society under the guise of protecting the family and children."
The association added that including charges such as "forming a criminal organization," "drugs," "prostitution" and "obscenity" served not to reveal the truth but "to incriminate the entire community."
This summer, an LGBTQ+ cruise ship that tours the Mediterranean and had docked in Turkiye in the past was refused permission to dock, according to reports.
Legal Context
The operation represents the latest in a series of actions by the Turkish government that civil society groups say are designed to suppress LGBTQ+ rights. The government has not commented on the reports of the cruise ship incident, and it is unclear whether the ban on the ship was related to the raids.
Human rights organizations have regularly criticized Turkey's record on LGBTQ+ rights, citing the police's use of force against pride gatherings and the government's restrictive laws. The European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled that Turkey's ban on pride rallies violates the right to peaceful assembly.
No official statement has been released by the Turkish government on the raids beyond Gurlek's statement. The raids come amid an ongoing crackdown on civil society groups in Turkey, with activists and opposition figures often targeted by authorities.