September 13, 2026 | 08:25 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Turkish police have arrested at least 162 people and searched the offices of six LGBTQ+ associations in weekend raids designed to support the country's campaign to protect family values.
The Ankara-based LGBTQ+ rights group Kaos GL claimed that beyond arrests, the government had also cut access to dozens of websites and social media accounts belonging to associate groups and rights advocates.
Government says its fulfilling duty to 'protect families and children'
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said investigations — prompted by accusations of prostitution and obscenity — were coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin and involved judicial proceedings against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.
"As per the duty to protect families and children given to the state by the constitution, no criminal organization, abuse network or illegal activity which targets children, youths or families will be tolerated!" Gurlek added in a social media post.
Authorities say they seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a gun in weekend police operations targeting gay bars and night clubs as well as a hammam that was said to be a place of prostitution.
The Istanbul prosecutor's office added that it had found evidence indicating that children and minors were being inappropriately swayed on issues tied to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Rights groups say the government is unfairly targeting the LGBTQ+ community, with Kaos GL saying that it had been accused of making "posts containing obscenities" accessible to children.
Erdogan scapegoats LGBTQ+ 'perverts' for falling birthrates, avoiding actual contributing factors
The weekend police operation was dubbed "My Family is Safe" by the government and was part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "Decade of Family and Population" scheme, which is designed to reverse plummeting birthrates in the aging country.
Authorities say it was intended to make sure that society does not see LGBTQ+ activity as "normal" and that raids were carried out to "protect children, the institution of the family, and our shared moral values."
Although same-sex relations are not illegal in the country, homophobia is rife, with President Erdogan blaming LGBTQ "perverts" for Turkey's rapidly declining birthrates.
That would seem a rhetorical diversion from the actual complexity of reasons for the decline, which Erdogan — who has ruled as the country's authoritarian president since 2014 as well as serving as its influential prime minister for 10 years before that — has called "a disaster."
Though Turkey's statistical agency, TurkStat, tracked a sharp decline in the total fertility rate between 2013 and 2023 (from 2.11 to 1.51 ), the shift brings birthrates in the country closer to those in other developed nations.
Observers say the real reasons for the drop are more likely of a structural and institutional nature rather than one chalked up to lifestyle.
Turkey's chronically worsening financial crisis, inflation, skyrocketing housing prices, family unfriendly workplace environments, limited access to affordable childcare, and higher educational and employment rates for women are all considered reasons for Turks to postpone having children, as well as for having fewer when they finally do.
Berlin Pride Attack: What We Know So Far
48 hari lalu
A car plowed into a crowd at Berlin's Christopher Street Day celebration in an apparent attack on the LGBTQ+ community. The suspect was shot dead.
LGBTQ Culture Designated as a Non-Military Threat
14 Juli 2026
The President designated LGBTQ culture as a nonmilitary threat. The move stirred debate across social media.
Indonesia Denies State-Decreed LGBTQ Discrimination: What's the Truth?
10 Juli 2026
Indonesia's anti-LGBTQ regulation sparked controversy. The government denies discriminating the minority group, but Amnesty doesn't buy it.
Fact Check: Did FIFA Turn Iran vs Egypt World Cup Match Into LGBTQ Celebration?
8 Juli 2026
Fact check - There was no FIFA decision to turn the Iran vs Egypt world cup match in Seattle into an LGBTQ celebration.
Indonesia Mulls Anti-LGBTQ Curriculum in Religious Education
7 Juli 2026
The Ministry of Religious Affairs plans to include anti-dissemination of LGBTQ culture in the religious education curriculum.
Lawmaker Backs Prabowo's LGBTQ Non-Military Threat Classification
7 Juli 2026
A Gerindra Party official said Prabowo has shown firmness as head of state in addressing what he described as the spread of LGBTQ culture.
How Prabowo Designates Spread of LGBTQ Culture as 'Nonmilitary Threat'
5 Juli 2026
Prabowo signed Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025 concerning the 2025-2029 General Policy for National Defense in Jakarta on October 24, 2025.
Pride Month Post by SUMA UI Spotlights Discrimination, Persecution
14 Juni 2026
A post made by SUMA UI during Pride Month highlights the discrimination and persecution faced by some LGBTQ+ communities in Indonesia, including on campus.
Ghana Approves Law Criminalizing LGBTQ Promotion Activities
30 Mei 2026
Ghana's parliament passed one of the most repressive anti-LGBTQ laws in Africa. The law sets prison terms on individuals promoting LGBTQ activities.
From Education to Marriage, Major Human Rights Gains of 2025
2 Januari 2026
Though 2025 saw flagrant human rights abuses across the globe, the year also brought many positive developments.
