Turkish police detained dozens of protesters outside Istanbul’s main courthouse on Tuesday during a demonstration against the government’s ongoing crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community, AFP reported.
The demonstrators had gathered to demand the release of LGBTQ+ activists arrested over the weekend in a wave of raids targeting gay bars and activists’ homes. Police moved in and made several arrests after protesters unfurled a banner reading “Being LGBTQ is not a crime,” while chants of “Long live the struggle for freedom!” rang out.
The arrests form part of a wider government campaign known as “My Family is Safe,” which officials say is intended to protect family values. Over the past week, authorities have raided association offices, blocked websites, and carried out arrests across several provinces, according to rights groups.
Human Rights Watch said the Turkish government has also blocked or restricted the social media accounts and websites of dozens of LGBT, media and rights organisations.
Same-sex relations are not illegal in Turkey, but homophobia remains widespread. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously referred to LGBTQ people as “perverts” and blamed them for the country’s falling birth rate.
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, said he was troubled by the reports, citing arrests, raids and the blocking of websites and accounts targeting LGBTI civil society groups and human rights defenders nationwide.
He noted that Turkey’s Minister of Justice confirmed the operation covers 162 individuals, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces, coordinated by several Chief Public Prosecutors’ Offices.
