Turkish Authorities Conduct Nationwide Raids Targeting LGBTQ+ and HIV Support Groups

Turkish authorities launched a series of nationwide raids on Sunday targeting LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness organizations, resulting in the detention of dozens of people. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that judicial proceedings are underway against 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 businesses across 15 provinces. The operations, dubbed My Family is Safe, involved police raids on homes, offices, and businesses in major cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin, and Mersin. Reports on the number of detainees vary, with prosecutors citing at least 63 people and the LGBTQ+ organization Kaos GL stating that nearly 50 of its defenders were taken into custody.

Government officials state the crackdown is intended to protect children, the institution of the family, and public order. Minister Gurlek linked the operation to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Decade of Family and Population executive order, which aims to combat falling birth rates. Prosecutors alleged that the targeted groups facilitated prostitution, produced obscene material, and inappropriately influenced underage youths. Some reports noted that authorities seized drugs, digital equipment, and smuggled alcohol during the raids.

Critics and rights organizations have condemned the actions as a political operation. The Turkish Human Rights Association described the raids as state led discrimination and a dismantling of civil society. Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, called the detentions a shocking escalation of repression and a violation of fundamental rights. Additionally, authorities blocked access to the websites and social media accounts of several LGBTQ+ organizations prior to and during the raids.

Outlets with a center lean focused on the official government justifications and the scale of the legal proceedings. Center left sources emphasized the long term hostility of the Erdogan government toward the LGBTQ+ community and the specific rhetoric used by the state. Center right coverage highlighted the government's claims regarding international funding of these associations and provided historical context regarding the decriminalization of homosexuality in the Ottoman Empire.