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Türkiye is experiencing one of its most significant recent crackdowns on LGBTQ+ civil society, with activists detained, organisations raided, websites restricted and protesters taken into custody across the country.
The nationwide operation, described by authorities as part of the “My Family is Safe” campaign, has targeted LGBTQ+ organisations, businesses and individuals across multiple provinces, as we previously reported here.
Turkish authorities say investigations concern alleged offences including obscenity and prostitution and argue that the broader campaign is intended to protect children and family values.
LGBTQ+ and human-rights organisations tell a very different story. They argue that legitimate activism and civil-society work are being criminalised.
Kaos GL activists jailed
Among the organisations affected is Kaos GL, one of Türkiye’s most prominent LGBTQ+ rights groups.
Eight members of the organisation were jailed pending trial as part of the investigation. Seven others, including a journalist, were released under judicial supervision.
Prosecutors have accused suspects of facilitating the publication of allegedly obscene material. Court documents cited by Reuters referred to organisational roles, social-media activity and evidence gathered during police investigations.
Kaos GL has rejected the characterisation of the case and described the arrests as a political operation targeting fundamental rights and freedoms.
The crackdown extends well beyond one organisation.
Authorities have investigated suspects across numerous provinces while targeting LGBTQ+ associations and businesses. Websites and social-media accounts have also reportedly faced restrictions.
Protesters take to the streets — and arrests follow
The crackdown triggered demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul.
Those demonstrations were themselves met with police action, with more than 100 people detained during protests against the LGBTQ+ arrests.
That is what makes the current situation particularly significant.
This is no longer simply about whether Türkiye permits a Pride march to take place. The ability of LGBTQ+ organisations to organise, communicate, protest and operate as part of civil society is increasingly at the centre of the story.
Europe is paying attention
The crackdown has also attracted international attention.
The European Commission has expressed concern about the arrests and legal proceedings involving LGBTQ+ organisations, while European human-rights figures have warned against using the protection of family values to justify restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
Homosexuality itself is not illegal in Türkiye.
But that fact tells only part of the story.
For years, Pride events have faced bans and police intervention, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and members of his government have increasingly used rhetoric centred on traditional family values when discussing LGBTQ+ issues.
The latest operation represents another escalation in that environment.
A community is more than a Pride march
There is a temptation internationally to measure LGBTQ+ freedom through visible symbols: Can Pride happen? Can a rainbow flag be displayed? Can two people hold hands?
But a community also needs infrastructure.
It needs organisations capable of offering support. Journalists able to report. Activists able to campaign. Websites able to publish information. And people able to protest when they believe their rights are being threatened.
That is why what is happening in Türkiye matters far beyond one police operation.
The question now is not simply whether queer Turks can be visible.
It is whether the organisations helping them remain visible will still have the space to operate.
