Turkey’s LGBTQ+ raids draw domestic and European criticism

Raids, arrests and account blocks targeting LGBTQ+ activists and organizations in Turkey have prompted protests and condemnation from Turkish groups and EU officials. Authorities linked the operation to investigations into alleged obscene content and LGBTQ+ propaganda, while critics said it threatened fundamental rights.

Turkish authorities carried out raids against LGBTQ+ activists and organizations on Sunday in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, according to DW. Several people were arrested, while more than 100 websites and social media accounts were blocked over the weekend and the following day. Among the affected accounts were those belonging to Amnesty International Turkey, Kaos GL, Mor Dayanisma and other civic, media and rights organizations.

The account suspensions were based on a ruling announced by an Istanbul court on September 13. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bakirkoy cited investigations into accounts that allegedly shared “obscene content and LGBTQ+ propaganda.” Several media outlets also reported that national security was invoked as a justification. DW said that homosexual relationships are not a criminal offense in Turkey.

The operation was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of the “Decade of Family and Population” strategy, proclaimed in May 2025. The government says the strategy is intended to respond to the country’s declining birthrate and reinforce a traditional, conservative view of family life.

Demonstrations were held again in Istanbul on Tuesday. In a joint declaration, Turkish LGBTQ+ associations said forming an association and advocating for rights were not crimes, and stressed that freedom of assembly, freedom of opinion, privacy protections and the presumption of innocence also applied to LGBTQ+ people. A separate declaration signed by 120 women’s rights organizations accused the government of using family protection as a justification for authoritarian repression.

Yildiz Taghizade of Women for Women’s Human Rights said the government was seeking to prevent LGBTQ+ people from organizing, participating in politics and appearing in public life. She argued that poverty, housing problems, unemployment, unpaid care work and violence against women posed more concrete difficulties for families than LGBTQ+ activism.

The Turkish Medical Association described the raids and account blocks as human rights violations. Workers’ Party of Turkey chairman Erkan Bas called for the immediate release of those arrested. From Brussels, European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said Turkey, an EU accession candidate, should protect the human rights and dignity of everyone regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, adding that stigmatization and discrimination conflicted with EU values.