Turkish authorities have detained 162 individuals in a coordinated crackdown targeting gay bars, LGBTQ+ activists, and associated organisations, according to statements from the country's Justice Ministry and human rights groups. The operation, dubbed 'My Family is Safe', involved dawn raids across 12 provinces over the weekend, part of a broader government initiative to promote traditional family values.
Raids and Arrests Across Provinces
The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office reported that 26 people were detained during the raids, with authorities seizing drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol, and a firearm. In Ankara, prosecutors said an additional 21 people were arrested in connection with an investigation into Kaos GL, one of Turkey's oldest and largest LGBTQ+ rights groups.
Kaos GL stated that at least 50 activists had been detained overall, including 10 who were arrested during raids on their homes. The group also reported that authorities blocked access to dozens of websites and social media accounts linked to LGBT organisations and activists.
Official Justification and Legal Proceedings
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that legal proceedings had been initiated against 162 suspects, as well as 9 associations and 13 businesses, on allegations including pornography and producing obscene content. Prosecutors have claimed there is evidence that children were being inappropriately influenced on matters related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
The crackdown is linked to President Tayyip Erdogan's 'Decade of Family and Population' initiative, aimed at boosting Turkey's falling birth rates. Erdogan has previously blamed LGBTQ 'perverts' for the country's demographic decline, although same-sex relations are not illegal in Turkey.
Rights Groups and International Reaction
Turkey's Human Rights Association condemned the operation, stating: '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 group added that including charges such as 'forming a criminal organization,' 'drugs,' 'prostitution,' and 'obscenity' serves 'not to reveal the truth but to incriminate the entire community.'
The association further criticised the campaign on social media, writing: 'The real name of this operation is not 'My Family is Safe'; it is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society.'
Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur, voiced alarm over the 'shocking escalation' of repression, adding: 'This imposition of a moral agenda is a blatant violation of fundamental rights and Turkey's international commitments taking the country down a dark path.'
The arrests and website blocks represent a significant escalation in state actions against LGBTQ+ communities in Turkey, raising concerns among civil liberties groups about the erosion of freedoms under the guise of protecting family values.
