Turkish authorities carried out a crackdown on various 2SLGBTQ+ organizations and individuals in the early hours of Sunday, detaining many members, forcibly entering association premises, and conducting searches at popular gathering spots.
This action, part of a long-standing antagonism towards 2SLGBTQ+ groups, particularly in the lead-up to elections, involved simultaneous police operations starting at 1 a.m. in key cities like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin, and Mersin.
Justice Minister Akin Gürlek, via social media, revealed that the crackdown targeted 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 businesses to uphold the sanctity of children, family institutions, and public order in line with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s directive regarding families and children.
Gürlek emphasized the state’s obligation, as outlined in the constitution, to shield families and children from criminal organizations, exploitation networks, or any illicit activities aimed at children, youths, or families.
The targeted raids encompassed current and past members of several prominent 2SLGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness groups, with their websites also being blocked.
Gürlek alleged that these associations were receiving substantial financial backing from international entities and organizations.
The Human Rights Association strongly criticized the crackdown, denouncing it as a politically motivated move to impose a singular family model on society and eradicate LGBTI+ and independent civil groups under the guise of protecting families and children.
The ruling Justice and Development Party, under Erdogan’s leadership, has increasingly voiced opposition to 2SLGBTQ+ groups to appeal to the conservative faction of its support base.
In 2015, the party banned Istanbul Pride, an event that previously drew tens of thousands of participants, and since then, authorities have forcefully dispersed any attempts to hold Pride-related gatherings.
Recently, a 2SLGBTQ+ cruise ship, a regular visitor to Turkey in the past, was denied entry into Turkish ports this summer.
Although the Ottoman Empire, the precursor to modern Turkey, decriminalized homosexuality in 1858, social discrimination against the 2SLGBTQ+ community still persists.
