On September 13, Turkish authorities unleashed a coordinated operation that has been described as the most extensive LGBTQ crackdown in recent memory. The sweep, branded the “My Family is Safe” campaign, was officially presented as a measure to safeguard families and reverse a falling birth rate highlighted in the “Decade of Family and Population” strategy.
The sweep begins: raids in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir
Police units descended on offices, night clubs and advocacy centres across the capital Ankara, the megacity Istanbul and the western port of Izmir. Interior Ministry footage showed officers opening filing cabinets, confiscating rainbow-colored flags and seizing digital devices. The raids targeted not only LGBTQ venues but also HIV-aid organisations, expanding the reach of the operation beyond a single community.
Arrests of activists and journalists
Estimates from independent monitors place the number of people taken into custody between 60 and 150. Among those detained was journalist Tuğba Tekerek who had published a single article for the LGBTQ association KAOS GL. She was formally arrested on September 15 on obscenity charges linked to a piece about elections in Georgia. Another high-profile figure, former CNN contributor Sirin Payzin saw her X account—followed by 1.8 million users—blocked from Turkish devices, though she continues to post from abroad.
Targeting of HIV and advocacy groups
Health-related NGOs were not exempt. Several HIV advocacy groups reported the loss of equipment and the removal of educational materials. Human Rights Watch spokesperson Emma Sinclair-Webb characterised the wave of arrests as “the widest crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in recent years,” underscoring the breadth of the government’s reach.
Digital repression: blocking over 400 accounts
Concurrently, Istanbul courts ordered the shutdown of more than 400 social-media accounts that featured pro-LGBTQ content. The Anadolu Agency announced that the national Cyber Crimes Investigation Bureau and Istanbul Police had acted to “protect families,” labeling the removed profiles as sources of “obscene content.” The blockade affected journalists, civil-society groups, women’s organisations and even the left-leaning newspaper Evrensel.
Legal justifications and court order
The legal basis stemmed from a September 13 ruling by a Bakırköy prosecutor, who argued that the accounts propagated “LGBTQ propaganda” and threatened national security. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bakırköy cited investigations into alleged influences on minors regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Critics argue the decision amounts to digital censorship rather than legitimate law-enforcement.
Domestic and international backlash
Human-rights organisations responded swiftly. The Committee to Protect Journalists highlighted the arrest of Tekerek, while Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) advocacy officer Yildiz Taghizade warned that the state’s aim is to “practically ban the LGBTQ+ community from engaging in politics.” Over 120 women’s rights groups issued a joint declaration stating, “Being [LGBTQ+] is not a crime, organizing as [LGBTQ+] people is not a crime.”
Statements from NGOs and politicians
Human Rights Watch’s Turkey director echoed the sentiment, noting that the arrests demonstrate a governmental intent to criminalise LGBTQ identities without passing new legislation. The European Union’s spokesperson Christian Wigand reminded Turkey of its accession obligations, stressing that “stigmatization and discrimination are contrary to the values of the union.” Turkish Workers’ Party leader Erkan Bas called for immediate releases, asserting that “the mere existence of LGBTQ persons is no crime.”
Link to the family-policy narrative
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly framed the operation as a safeguard for families, a narrative that Taghizade challenged by pointing to deeper societal issues such as poverty, housing shortages, unemployment and gender-based violence. She argued that the “family-safe” slogan masks a broader authoritarian agenda aimed at silencing dissenting voices across civil society.
As the crackdown continues, activists warn that the combined pressure on physical spaces and digital platforms could erode the already fragile space for LGBTQ advocacy in Turkey, marking a significant regression for a nation once considered among the more moderate Islamic states in the region.
