Turkey arrests 31 pending trial as LGBTQ+ protest detentions reach 126

Ankara, Turkey. Turkish authorities arrested at least 31 people pending trial on Tuesday as part of a government campaign targeting LGBTQ+ groups, while police detained at least 126 people during protests in Ankara and Istanbul, lawyers said.

Arrests and protests

The latest arrests included five transgender women in Ankara and 26 people in the southern province of Mersin, while legal proceedings continued for others detained, according to lawyers.

Police prevented a group from making a press statement outside an Istanbul courthouse on Tuesday and dispersed pro-LGBTQ+ protesters attempting to gather in Ankara.

Operation across provinces

The protests followed raids targeting LGBTQ+ associations in several Turkish provinces under an operation dubbed “My Family is Safe”, which the government said was aimed at protecting children and family values.

Rights groups and opposition figures have described the measures as part of a widening campaign against the LGBTQ+ community. Over the past week, authorities have raided association offices, blocked websites and jailed suspects across multiple provinces.

A Turkish court on Monday jailed 18 people pending trial in the western province of Izmir as part of the operation, lawyers said.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on Sunday that investigations coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin involved 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.

Rights concerns

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty said on Tuesday that he was concerned by arrests, raids and online restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ civil society and human rights defenders.

He said references to family values or the protection of children could not alone justify restrictions on human rights and called for the release of anyone detained for human rights or civil society work.

Turkish authorities have also blocked access to websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ associations, individuals and independent media outlets, including the X account of Amnesty International’s Turkey branch.