Turkey detains dozens in nationwide raids on LGBTQ+ venues and activist homes

Nationwide enforcement campaign

Turkish security services launched coordinated operations across 15 provinces during the weekend of 12–13 September 2026, targeting LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, commercial establishments, and private homes. The actions were conducted jointly by the Turkish national police and the gendarmerie under an operation designated "My Family is Safe". Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on social platform X that prosecutors initiated legal proceedings against 162 individuals, 9 non-governmental associations, and 13 commercial venues across the country. Gürlek stated that the enforcement measures form part of the broader "Decade of the Family" program, an initiative introduced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the stated objective of protecting children, the family unit, and social order.

Raids, seizures, and conflicting arrest counts

In Istanbul, police units raided multiple commercial venues, including gay bars and a nightclub known as a gathering point for the LGBTQ+ community, as shown in footage broadcast by pro-government media outlets. Law enforcement officers also searched a men's bathhouse that authorities alleged had been operating as a site for prostitution. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed that 26 people were detained during venue searches in the city, where officers confiscated narcotics, digital hardware, untaxed alcohol, and a firearm.

A further 21 individuals were detained in connection with an investigation directed at the advocacy organization Kaos GL, bringing the state-reported total to 47 arrests across 12 provinces. The organization Kaos GL released its own statement indicating that 50 activists were detained, including more than 10 individuals taken into custody following early-morning searches of their private residences.

Digital restrictions and civil society targeting

Parallel to physical searches, Turkish authorities took measures against LGBTQ+ digital infrastructure and organizational headquarters. Police entered and searched the office headquarters of Kaos GL. Authorities leveled formal accusations against the group for allegedly publishing obscene content accessible to minors and violating statutes related to public decency.

The operational crackdown was preceded by digital blocks on Saturday, 12 September 2026. Turkish telecommunications authorities requested the suspension and restriction of accounts on the social media platform X belonging to Kaos GL as well as approximately 15 other LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and individual activists. Access to multiple organizational websites was also blocked inside Turkey.

Legal context and parliamentary reaction

Homosexual relations are not a criminal offense under Turkish penal law, but same-sex marriage is not legally recognized, and public LGBTQ+ events, including annual Pride marches, have faced systematic police bans and detentions in recent years. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regularly criticizes the LGBTQ+ community in public addresses, describing members as perverts and attributing declining national fertility rates to their activities. Human rights organizations in Turkey contend that the government is utilizing family protection campaigns to suppress civil liberties.

Following the raids, Özgül Saki, a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey representing Istanbul for the left-wing pro-Kurdish DEM Party, condemned the government's actions on X.

Existence cannot be banned or prevented. LGBTQ+ rights are human rights!