Turkey LGBTQ Raids Spark International Outcry

Turkish authorities conducted raids on LGBTQ organizations in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir over the weekend, detaining multiple people and blocking over 100 social media accounts in what critics call a sweeping crackdown on civil society.

Operation My Family Is Safe

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan framed the operation as part of his national strategy called the Decade of the Family, announced in May 2025, aimed at reversing Turkey's sharp population decline and reinforcing a conservative family model. An Istanbul court order dated September 13 authorized blocking accounts accused of spreading obscene content and LGBTQ propaganda, with some additionally suspended on national security grounds. Among those blocked were Amnesty International Turkey, the left-leaning newspaper Evrensel, the Academics for Peace initiative, women's rights group Mor Dayanisma, and LGBTQ media portal Kaos GL. By the day after the raids more than 100 accounts had been suspended.

Protests and Condemnations

Demonstrations continued in Istanbul on Tuesday. Turkish LGBTQ associations issued a joint statement insisting that founding an organization and advocating for rights is not a crime. Around 120 women's rights organizations signed a separate declaration condemning the government's authoritarianism, stating that pressure was being applied to their bodies, lives, identities, and right to organize.

Yildiz Taghizade of the Women's Human Rights Association (KIH) said the government was attempting to make it practically impossible for the LGBTQ movement to engage in politics or be present in public life, arguing the real threats to families were poverty, a housing crisis, unemployment, and male violence. The Turkish Medical Association called the actions a human rights violation. Workers' Party (TIP) leader Erkan Bas demanded the immediate release of detainees. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek had previously accused LGBTQ groups of promoting immorality. Homosexual relationships are not criminalized under Turkish law.