Over the weekend, Turkish authorities carried out raids targeting LGBTQ+ activists and organizations, resulting in multiple arrests and the blocking of numerous social media accounts. The government’s actions have sparked sharp criticism from civil society across Turkey and from European institutions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan framed the operation as part of the “Decade of Family and Population” initiative, a national strategy unveiled in May 2025 aimed at reversing the steep decline in the country’s birthrate and reinforcing traditional, conservative family values.
On Tuesday, demonstrations took place again in Istanbul. Turkish LGBTQ+ associations issued a joint declaration affirming that establishing an association and advocating for rights is not a crime.
“Freedom of assembly, freedom of opinion, protection of privacy, and the presumption of innocence apply to LGBTQ+ people as well,” the declaration stated.
The LGBTQ+ community also received backing from the women’s movement. Some 120 women’s rights organizations signed a joint declaration condemning authoritarianism in Turkey.
“As women, we oppose the operations carried out in the name of ‘protecting the family.’ We recognize that the suppression of our bodies, our lives, our identities, and our right to organize is part of the same authoritarian politics. Being LGBTQ+ is not a crime. Organizing as LGBTQ+ people is not a crime!” the organizations stated.
‘The Aim Is Criminalization’
The government is seeking to criminalize the LGBTQ+ community, says Yildiz Taghizade of Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR), an organization that co-signed the declaration. According to Taghizade, this process of criminalization did not begin with the recent operations but has been underway for several years.
“The goal is not merely to target LGBTQ+ individuals, but to effectively exclude the LGBTQ+ community from political participation, organization, rights advocacy, and public visibility,” Taghizade said.
The timing of the operation, accompanied by the slogan “My family is safe,” was hardly coincidental.
“The government seeks to justify its actions by appealing to the protection of families and children, but this narrative fails. When we examine Turkey today and identify what truly creates uncertainty for families, we find concrete issues such as poverty, the housing crisis, unemployment, the burden of care work falling on women, and male violence against women,” Taghizade said.
Criticism from Medical Bodies, Trade Unions, and Politicians
Other organizations also condemned the government’s actions. The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) described them as a violation of human rights and demanded an end to discriminatory policies. It called unacceptable the treatment of gender identity and sexual orientation as criminal offenses, the removal of individuals from their homes at night, and the blocking of digital communication channels — all under the guise of family protection and public security.
Erkan Bas, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP), called for the immediate release of those arrested, arguing that the mere existence of LGBTQ+ individuals constitutes no crime.
“Everyone who did not share the government’s views was ‘called to order’ by the judiciary, baton, and censorship. If they could, they would enshrine the criminal offense of ‘being an opponent of the government’ into law and sit back,” Bas said.
In the Name of ‘National Security’
The raids were conducted on Sunday in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Over the weekend, a host of websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ groups, various organizations, and activists were blocked. On the day of the raids, 32 additional accounts were suspended. By the following day, the total number of blocked accounts exceeded 100.
Among those affected were Amnesty International Turkey, the left-leaning Evrensel newspaper, the Academics for Peace initiative, the Lawyers for Justice association, the women’s rights organization Mor Dayanisma, the LGBTQ+ rights group Kaos GL, and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
The legal basis was a ruling by an Istanbul court announced on September 13. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bakirkoy justified the suspensions by citing investigations into accounts that had spread “obscene content and LGBTQ+ propaganda.”
According to several media outlets, the accounts were also blocked on grounds of “national security.”
Critics labeled the move digital censorship.
Homosexuality Not a Criminal Offense
Homosexual relationships are not a criminal offense in Turkey. Nevertheless, the Turkish government has repeatedly referred to the LGBTQ+ community as a movement of “perverts.”
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek had previously accused LGBTQ+ organizations of “promoting immorality.” In a social media post, he declared that “no criminal organization, abuse network, or illegal activity targeting children, youths, or families will be tolerated.”
EU: Stigmatization Incompatible with Shared Values
The EU also expressed concern.
Commission Spokesperson Christian Wigand pointed out that Turkey, as an EU accession candidate, “should promote and ensure respect for the human rights and dignity of all individuals, irrespective of their gender identity or sexual orientation.” He added that “stigmatization and discrimination are contrary to the values of the union.”
Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey director at Human Rights Watch, interpreted the arrests as evidence of the government’s intention to criminalize LGBTQ+ individuals without enacting new legislation.
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