Turkey Detains Dozens in Widening Crackdown on LGBTQ+ Activists
Authorities arrest individuals protesting previous detentions as part of a campaign targeting family values.
Turkish police arrested dozens of people on Tuesday who were protesting the government's recent crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists and venues. The detentions occurred outside Istanbul's main courthouse as demonstrators called for the release of other LGBTQ+ activists arrested over the weekend. Those activists were detained in raids on gay bars and at their homes as part of a government campaign described as "My Family is Safe," aimed at protecting family values.
During Tuesday's protest, demonstrators chanted slogans and called for the release of the detained activists. Police made several arrests after some individuals displayed a banner stating, "Being LGBTQ is not a crime." "What we are seeing now is deeply disturbing," one protestor told AFP.
Rights groups have reported an escalating campaign against the LGBTQ+ community. In the past week, authorities have raided association offices, blocked websites, and conducted arrests in multiple provinces. The government has also restricted access to social media accounts and websites of numerous LGBT, media, and rights organizations, according to Human Rights Watch.
While same-sex relations are not illegal in Turkey, homophobia is prevalent. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has publicly characterized LGBTQ+ individuals as "perverts" contributing to a declining birth rate. The Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty, expressed concern over the recent arrests, noting reports of actions targeting LGBTI civil society and human rights defenders across Turkey. O'Flaherty stated that Turkey's Minister of Justice indicated the operation involved 162 individuals, nine associations, and 13 businesses across 15 provinces, coordinated by several Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices.