- The Turkish Police and Gendarmerie deployed this weekend the operation “My family is safe”, with judicial proceedings opened against 162 people, nine organizations, and 13 businesses in 15 provinces.
- The organization Kaos GL reported the raid of its offices in Ankara and the detention of members of its leadership, while social media accounts of activists and LGTBI organizations were blocked.
- The Trans Platform Federation has demanded from the Government of Spain and the European Union a “firm” and “immediate” response to what it considers a serious repressive escalation.
The offensive by Turkish authorities against the LGTBI movement has raised concerns among human rights organizations, after the Police and Gendarmerie deployed a coordinated operation this weekend that resulted in dozens of arrests, raids on associations and homes, and actions against establishments linked to the community.
What does the operation “My family is safe” consist of?
The operation “My family is safe” has opened judicial proceedings against 162 people, nine organizations, and 13 businesses in 15 provinces of Turkey, according to Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek. The Turkish government claims that the investigations are related to alleged crimes such as prostitution, dissemination of content considered obscene, and activities that, according to the authorities, could expose minors to such material.
The operation has had its main focuses in Istanbul and Ankara. Gürlek also stated that during the actions, narcotic substances and digital material were seized, and that the investigations include economic movements related to some associations, which he linked to funding from “foreign entities.”
The raid on Kaos GL and the detention of activists
In Ankara, the organization Kaos GL —one of the oldest LGTBI entities in Turkey, founded in 1994— reported the raid of its offices and the detention of members of its leadership and its auditing team. The organization stated that more than a dozen activists were detained at their homes.
Blocking of accounts and raids on establishments in Istanbul
The police action also reached bars and other establishments in Istanbul, with simultaneous raids on nightclubs and venues in the city center. At the same time, social media accounts and pages related to activists and LGTBI organizations were blocked, according to the affected entities.
The official version: protection of minors and the family
The Turkish government links the operation to the protection of minors, the family, and “social order.” Minister Gürlek pointed out that the raid targets “people who facilitate prostitution” and suspects of “producing and disseminating obscene content that children may have access to,” as well as associations “that promote immorality.”
Organizations denounce the criminalization of activism
The Network of Solidarity of Human Rights Defenders, which includes entities such as Kaos GL and Amnesty International, has denounced a large-scale operation and rejected that legal activities defending LGTBI rights be linked to crimes such as pimping, obscenity, or drug trafficking. The network also considers that the public exposure of financial information of legal associations can generate suspicions about organizations that carry out legitimate activities, affecting the right to association.
Context: years of restrictions on the LGTBI community in Turkey
Homosexuality is not penalized in Turkey, where it has been legal since 1858, and gender change in the registry is also legal after a surgical operation. However, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hardened its rhetoric against LGTBI people in recent years, placing the defense of traditional family at the center of much of its social policies. Authorities banned the Istanbul Pride march starting in 2015, and since then restrictions on mobilizations and organizations of the community have intensified.
The operation this weekend adds to other recent measures: in June, authorities had already blocked accounts of associations and activists and had closed a well-known LGTBI venue in Istanbul, in addition to prohibiting the planned stops of a cruise aimed at the gay public.
The Trans Platform calls on Spain to act
The impact of the operation has also reached Spain. The Trans Platform Federation has demanded from the government of Pedro Sánchez a “firm” and “immediate” response to what it considers a serious repressive escalation against LGTBI people and organizations in Turkey. The entity has sent letters to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to demand urgent action from both Spain and the European Union.
Among its requests are that the Spanish government condemn the raids, monitor the situation of detained persons, and promote a coordinated response in European institutions and the Council of Europe, in addition to Spain using its bilateral relations with Ankara to demand guarantees on freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Its president, Mar Cambrollé, has warned that the situation should be interpreted as a warning sign for Europe, and has alerted to the risk of normalizing persecution policies against minorities.
Questions about the offensive against the LGTBI community in Turkey
How many people are being investigated in the Turkish operation? According to Justice Minister Akin Gürlek, there are judicial proceedings opened against 162 people, nine organizations, and 13 businesses in 15 provinces.
What is Kaos GL? It is one of the main LGTBI organizations in Turkey, based in Ankara, whose offices were raided by the police and whose leadership members were detained in this operation.
Is homosexuality legal in Turkey? Yes, homosexuality is not penalized in Turkey and has been legal since 1858, although the government has intensified its rhetoric and restrictions against the LGTBI community in recent years.
What does the Trans Platform ask from the Government of Spain? It asks that it condemn the raids, monitor the detained persons, and promote a coordinated response from Spain and the European Union towards Turkey.
Since when has Pride been banned in Istanbul? Turkish authorities banned the Istanbul Pride march starting in 2015, and since then they have intensified restrictions on LGTBI organizations and mobilizations.
