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4 clusters · 164 sources · 13 days · First seen · Last updated

Turkish crackdown on LGBTQ+ groups and activists

Overview

Turkish authorities have launched large-scale operations targeting LGBTQ+ organizations and activists across 15 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Mersin. Conducted under the ‘My Family is Safe’ banner as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ‘Decade of the Family’ initiative, the raids aim to protect traditional family structures.

Justice Minister Akin Gürlek announced judicial proceedings against 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 businesses. Prosecutors have alleged involvement in prostitution, obscenity, and the improper influence of minors regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Investigations are also examining allegations of significant foreign funding, with records indicating six LGBTQ associations received over $3.3 million in foreign funds.

The crackdown has led to numerous arrests of activists, journalists, and lawyers. Among those detained was Seniye Nazik Işık, a former president of the Izmir City Council. The Aegean City Councils Union has protested these detentions, arguing that organizational work should not be treated as a criminal offense.

In addition to physical raids, authorities have implemented widespread digital restrictions. The labor union DİSK Basın-İş reported that accounts for Evrensel Newspaper, Amnesty International Turkey, and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) have been blocked on X and Instagram. DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan described the blocking of accounts belonging to journalists, writers, and Peace Academics as ‘serious interventions against freedom of expression and organization.’

Protests in Istanbul and Izmir have been met with police intervention, including the use of tear gas. International bodies, including the Council of Europe and the European Commission, have expressed deep concern, characterizing the actions as state-led discrimination.

Entities

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan · Turkey · Kaos GL · Istanbul · Akin Gurlek

Claims

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Coverage disagrees

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Timeline

  1. 1 day ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 48 sources FAST-MOVING
    Turkey conducts nationwide raids targeting LGBTQ+ activists and organizations

    Turkish authorities conducted nationwide raids against LGBTQ+ groups and activists in the ‘My Family is Safe’ operation, detaining dozens amid allegations of obscenity and illegal foreign funding.

  2. 1 day ago

    [POLITICS] 8 sources
    Turkey faces social media bans and activist detentions

    Turkey faces backlash over social media bans on journalists and NGOs, alongside police raids on LGBT+ organizations and the detention of activist Seniye Nazik Işık.

  3. 3 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 126 sources
    Turkey conducts widespread raids targeting LGBTQ+ groups and activists

    Turkish authorities have detained dozens and launched proceedings against 162 suspects in a nationwide crackdown on LGBTQ+ organizations and venues under a campaign to protect traditional family values.

  4. 13 days ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Report challenges assessments of Turkey’s crackdown on Gülen movement

    A report by Johan Vande Lanotte argues that Turkey’s crackdown on the Gülen movement has shifted toward targeting everyday activities, challenging European asylum assessments based on declining statistics.

Sources

680news.com · 6yka.com · akishaber.com.tr · Aktualne.cz · al-monitor.com · anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · artigercek.com · ataturquie.fr · athina984.gr · attitude.co.uk · axadletimes.com · aydinlik.com.tr · besniyenibakis.com · boldmedya.com · brasilemfolhas.com.br · businessdaily.gr · ca.sports.yahoo.com · capital.gr · cmjornal.xl.pt · corumhakimiyet.net · courrierinternational.com · cumhuriyet.com.tr · damgagazetesi.com · dan.co.me · deutschlandsuchtdensuperstar.de · dezanove.pt · diarioactualidad.com · diebewertung.de · DiePresse.com · dnamagazine.com.au · document.no · dokuz8haber.net · e-radio.gr · efsyn.gr · elbalad.news · elemi.hu · emep.org · emvolos.gr · enikos.gr · entrevue.fr · epochtimes.fr · ertnews.gr · europske.noviny.sk · fakti.bg · formosadeportiva.com.ar · fr.news.yahoo.com · france24.com · frontpage.lk

This summary has been updated 11 times: see revision history