More than 60 people have been formally arrested since the Sep 13 anti-LGBTI+ raids across Turkey dubbed as “My Family is Safe” operations, while the Justice Ministry has instructed prosecutors nationwide to investigate activities it describes as promoting “desexualization.”
Separately, 106 people detained on Sep 15 while protesting the crackdown outside the İstanbul Courthouse were released late yesterday.
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Twenty people detained in İstanbul were formally arrested late yesterday on “obscenity” charges. At least nine of those jailed are members of LGBTI+ organizations, including Hevi LGBTI+, Pozitif-iz, SPoD and Lambdaistanbul.
In requesting their detention, prosecutors alleged that LGBTI+ associations were “weakening the nature of the Turkish family structure” through their activities. They also claimed the groups raised funds and organized events to “encourage, promote and spread” being LGBTI+.
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In the southern province of Mersin, 27 of 33 people referred to court after being detained were formally arrested on Sep 15. They face “obscenity” and “prostitution” allegations.
Two members of the Muamma LGBTI+ Association, including a lawyer, and three members of the Mersin 7 Colors LGBTI+ Solidarity Association were among those jailed. Two other 7 Colors members were released under judicial supervision.
Five people were jailed in Kuşadası, Aydın, on Sep 14 on “prostitution” and “obscenity” charges. Sixteen people were jailed in İzmir the same day, facing similar accusations.
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The initial crackdown targeted 162 people across 15 provinces. Police raided homes, LGBTI+ associations and venues frequented by queer people.
Separately, authorities blocked access to hundreds of social media accounts and websites belonging to LGBTI+ groups and individuals over the past week.
Kaos GL: We are concerned for the safety of our imprisoned friends
The Kaos GL Association, one of the groups targeted in the crackdown and all of its executives have been jailed, released a statement yesterday demanding the release of all detainees:
“Pressure, political plots, false statements, and baseless accusations cannot break our resolve. As Kaos GL, we will continue our struggle for rights, equality, and freedom with greater determination than ever.
“We demand the immediate release of our friends who have been unjustly and unlawfully imprisoned after being targeted with false accusations and subjected to an intense smear campaign. We want the public to know that what is happening is not a legal process, but an overt political operation targeting fundamental rights and freedoms. This process must be understood for what it is: an attempt at intimidation.
“As a result of this political operation, our friends have been sent to various prisons in Sincan. We are deeply concerned that they may face ill-treatment behind closed doors and under prison conditions, and we fear for their safety. In order to ensure their safety and prevent potential rights violations, it is vital that our friends who are being held in the same prison are not placed in isolation and are kept together at all times.
“We would like to remind the relevant authorities and the public in clear terms: The responsibility for ensuring the safety and the physical and psychological integrity of all our friends currently in prison rests entirely with prison administrations, the Ministry of Justice, and all relevant state institutions.
“We will issue a further comprehensive statement in the coming days on the details of this unlawful and political operation and the process as a whole.
“Pressure, political plots, false statements, and baseless accusations cannot break our resolve. As Kaos GL, we will continue our struggle for rights, equality, and freedom with greater determination than ever. Our friends are not alone!”
Justice Ministry circular on ‘desexualization’
Following the Sep 13 raids, the Justice Ministry sent a circular to prosecutors in all 81 provinces ordering action against activities it described as “desexualization.”
The circular, titled “Protection of the Family, Young People and Society from Content and Organizations Contrary to Public Morality and with Negative Effects,” instructed prosecutors to assess reports and complaints concerning allegedly obscene activities, secure digital evidence and, when deemed necessary, seek restrictions on access to online content.
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The circular ordered prosecutors to take immediate action when there is suspicion of “activities encouraging children and young people toward desexualization.”
Under the circular, organized crime investigation methods may be used if activities under investigation are considered to have been carried out within an organized structure. If there is evidence that income was generated from the activities, a financial investigation is to be conducted alongside the criminal investigation.
The ministry also called for coordination among the Family and Social Services Ministry, National Education Ministry, Presidential Cybersecurity Directorate and law enforcement agencies.
Information on investigations with nationwide implications is to be submitted to the Justice Ministry.
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‘Obscenity’ accusations
The offense of “obscenity” under Article 226 of the Turkish Penal Code has become central to the crackdown on LGBTI+ groups. The law prohibits the distribution of obscene material and the exposure of children to such content, but lacks a clear definition of what constitutes obscenity.
Authorities have increasingly used the provision in recent years, initially in cases involving adult content creators. Its use later expanded to non-explicit material, with stage performances, song lyrics and verbal statements also becoming the subject of investigations. More recently, the law has been applied to LGBTI+ advocacy. Groups targeted in the latest crackdown said their members were questioned about images posted on social media showing two men or two women kissing.
Turkey’s LGBTI+ movement has faced increased pressure since 2025, which the government declared the “Year of the Family,” with pro-government media outlets frequently portraying LGBTI+ groups’ activities as “anti-family.” Following the latest crackdown, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the authorities had acted in line with the government’s “family vision.”
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Source: BIANET
