Türkiye Raids LGBTQ+ Venues in 'My Family is Safe' Operations

Turkish police and gendarmerie raided homes, offices, bars and other venues associated with the LGBTQ+ community across at least 15 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara, in operations authorities called “My Family is Safe.” Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal proceedings had begun against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 companies, though authorities did not provide a total arrest figure; Kaos GL said more than 10 of its members were detained and its office was searched. Prosecutors cited allegations including obscenity, violations of the Associations Law, prostitution and offenses against public morality, while authorities also blocked the social-media accounts and websites of Kaos GL and other LGBTQ+ groups. The crackdown is part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “Decade of the Family” agenda, which officials say protects children, traditional family structures and public order. LGBTQ+ advocates and opposition politicians condemned the actions as state discrimination and intimidation, noting that same-sex relations are not criminalized in Türkiye and asserting that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.