Turkish authorities launch anti-LGBTQ raids, detaining dozens

Turkish police raid LGBTQ groups across major cities, arresting at least 60 in a major crackdown.Published On 14 Sep 202614 Sep 2026Turkish police have detained dozens of people after conducting nationwide raids targeting LGBTQ organisations.Police swooped on gay bars, offices and homes of activists in major cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Mersin on Sunday, escalating Turkiye’s decade-long hostility towards LGBTQ groups.State news agency Anadolu quoted prosecutors in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir as saying that at least 63 people were detained, the AFP news agency reported.Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said in a social media post on Sunday that prosecutors had launched an investigation into 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses to “protect children, the institution of the family, and public order”.Turkish authorities targeted current and former members of multiple LGBTQ rights and HIV awareness groups. The organisations’ websites were blocked days before the police raids.Gurlek said the “My Family is Safe” operations on Sunday aligned with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 10-year “Decade of Family and Population” executive order, which aims to combat Turkiye’s ...