Turkey raids LGBTQ+ and HIV groups; at least 47 detained
Turkish authorities raided LGBTQ+ associations, HIV-support groups, homes, businesses and venues over the weekend, with prosecutors reporting at least 47 people detained in separately described Istanbul- and Ankara-linked investigations.
The raids, conducted on Sept. 12 and 13 under the name “My Family Is Safe,” reached multiple provinces. The government said the operation was intended to protect children, families and public order. Rights groups and affected organizations described it as discrimination and an attack on civil society.
What happened
Justice Minister Akin Gürlek said 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.
That figure describes a broader group of suspects and judicial proceedings. It does not mean that all 162 people were detained.
In the Istanbul-linked investigation, prosecutors said operations covered 12 provinces and involved 38 suspects, 26 of whom were detained. The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office also said authorities searched and seized material at 54 addresses, including six LGBTQ+ associations and 10 businesses, according to Bianet’s account of the prosecutor’s statement.
In a separately described Ankara-linked investigation involving the LGBTQ+ organization Kaos GL, prosecutors said another 21 people had been detained and five others were still being sought. Reuters reported the two prosecutor-linked figures as producing a total of at least 47 detainees.
What authorities allege
Prosecutors said the investigations involved allegations including forming a criminal organization, prostitution, obscenity and possessing or purchasing drugs. Authorities also said there was evidence that children or minors were being improperly influenced on questions involving sexual orientation and gender identity.
Gürlek framed the operation as part of the government’s stated responsibility to protect children, the institution of the family and public order. The prosecutor-linked reporting reviewed for this article did not provide detailed public evidence tying each allegation to a specific organization or individual.
Reuters reported that authorities in the Istanbul-linked investigation said they seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm. Those reported seizure claims do not establish that every organization or person searched committed a crime.
Rights groups warn of wider civil-liberties impact
Kaos GL and other affected groups said the operation went beyond individual criminal investigations. Kaos GL said at least 50 activists had been detained, including more than 10 taken from their homes. It also said authorities blocked access to dozens of websites and social-media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ organizations, activists and rights advocates.
The Turkish Human Rights Association called the raids state-led discrimination, a politics of fear and an effort to dismantle civil society. Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, described the arrests as an escalation of repression, according to Reuters.
The practical concern for LGBTQ+ people and allies is that searches, detentions and online restrictions could interrupt rights advocacy, legal assistance, HIV information and community support. The effect may extend beyond people named in the investigations if organizations lose access to offices, digital platforms or staff.
Why the numbers differ
The 162 figure comes from the Justice Ministry’s broader description of the operation and covers suspects, associations and businesses under judicial proceedings. The 26-person Istanbul figure and the 21-person Ankara-linked figure come from separate prosecutor accounts described in independent reporting.
Those accounts should not be treated as a single fully reconciled case file. The most defensible description is that at least 47 people were reported detained in separate Istanbul- and Ankara-linked actions, while the government cited a broader investigation involving 162 suspects.
A United Nations special-procedures record provides earlier context. It documents concerns about alleged dissolution pressure against the Genc LGBTI+ Association in Izmir and criminal charges involving human-rights defenders. That record predates the September raids and does not establish their totals or allegations.
What to watch next
The next developments may include detention reviews, possible charges, additional searches, organizational restrictions and further website-blocking orders. Court decisions and responses from international rights bodies will help show whether the raids remain a short-term investigation or become a broader legal and administrative campaign against LGBTQ+ civil society in Turkey.
Sources
- Associated Press — Turkish authorities launch crackdown on LGBTQ+ and HIV support groups
- Reuters, republished by Internazionale — Turkey detains dozens after sweeping raids targeting LGBTQ+ groups
- Bianet — Istanbul prosecutor’s account of the “My Family Is Safe” operation
- OHCHR Special Procedures — Türkiye and the Genc LGBTI+ Association
Look for updates to this story
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