Turkish police have detained dozens of people in a series of raids on gay bars, nightclubs, LGBTQ association offices and the homes of activists across the country.
The operation, carried out over the weekend in 12 provinces, was part of a government campaign called "My Family is Safe." Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal proceedings had been launched against more than 160 people, as well as a number of organisations and companies.
The number of those detained varies by source. According to state media, more than 60 people were arrested. The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said 26 people were detained in its jurisdiction, while the Ankara chief prosecutor's office reported a further 21 detained in connection with an investigation into LGBTQ association Kaos GL. The organisation itself said 50 activists had been detained, more than 10 of them following raids on their homes.
Istanbul prosecutors said officers seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm during the raids.
Kaos GL said authorities had blocked several websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ organisations. According to the group, it was accused of publishing "obscenity" in online posts accessible to children. Authorities also demanded the suspension of the Kaos GL account on X, along with those of around 15 other LGBTQ organisations.
Gurlek did not specify the total number of people taken into custody but said the raids were carried out in the context of the broader "Decade of the Family" campaign.
Human rights groups condemned the operation. The Turkish Human Rights Association said the government had been using the campaign to target the LGBTQ community in recent years.
"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," the organisation said on X.
Same-sex relations are not a criminal offence in Turkey, and same-sex marriage is not legally recognised. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously described LGBTQ people as "perverts" and linked them to the country's falling birth rate.
