Since Monday, 62 people have been taken into custody in Turkey following a wave of arrests targeting the LGBT+ community. Another 29 individuals are scheduled to appear in court in Istanbul on Wednesday, September 16. According to the human rights organization MLSA, 13 people were taken into custody in Ankara on Tuesday evening, including seven members of Kaos GL—one of the country’s largest LGBT+ organizations—along with five transgender individuals and one journalist.
Also on Tuesday evening, a court in Mersin ordered the detention of 28 people who had been arrested on Sunday, the private news agency DHA reported, citing the local public prosecutor’s office. Previously, on Monday, 21 more people were taken into custody in Izmir and Aydin. Most are accused of “indecency” and promoting prostitution.
The scale of the crackdown
Minister of Justice Akin Gürlek announced on Sunday that proceedings had been initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 companies across 15 provinces. Night raids were conducted on gay bars and the homes of LGBT+ activists. According to the AIH association, approximately 110 people were detained nationwide on Sunday. Additionally, 106 people were arrested in Istanbul on Tuesday while protesting these detentions.
The operation is being carried out as part of the “Decade of the Family” initiative declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which authorities claim is intended to “protect our children, the institution of the family, and social order.” The large-scale operation has drawn international condemnation.
Homosexuality is not a criminal offense in Turkey, but hostility toward LGBT+ people remains widespread, particularly at the highest levels of government. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regularly refers to LGBT+ people as “perverts” and links the community to declining birth rates. The human rights organization Amnesty International stated that this campaign has nothing to do with protecting families and is instead aimed at increasing pressure on a community that has faced decades of discrimination and intimidation.
Source: Le Parisien
