Police in Turkey arrested 47 people during a series of raids on gay bars and the homes of LGBTQ+ activists, officials said. The operations, carried out across 12 provinces over the weekend, were part of a campaign the government calls "My Family is Safe", which it says is designed to safeguard family values.
One of the operation’s targets was the LGBTQ+ association Kaos GL. According to the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, officers detained 26 people and seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm. The Ankara chief prosecutor’s office added that another 21 people had been detained as part of an investigation into Kaos GL.
The group said 50 activists had been detained, with more than 10 taken after police raids on their homes. It also claimed authorities had blocked several websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ organisations. Kaos GL said the state accused it of posting “obscenity” online that could reach children and demanded the shutdown of its X account, as well as those of around 15 other LGBTQ+ organisations.
Same‑sex marriage is not recognised in Turkey and the government has faced criticism for using the campaign to target the LGBTQ+ community. Human rights groups argue that the operation is a form of state‑led discrimination, a politics of fear and a dismantling of civil society. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal proceedings had started against more than 160 people and several organisations and companies, though he did not disclose how many had been taken into custody.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously described LGBTQ people as “perverts” responsible for the falling birth rate, and homophobia remains widespread in the country. The Turkish Human Rights Association has warned that the government’s “My Family is Safe” campaign is a cover for targeting LGBTQ+ people.
