On Sunday, the Turkish state staged raids and police actions against LGBTI+ activists and organizations across the country. There were numerous arrests and confiscations, and a solidarity demonstration was also attacked.

There were several incidents across the country in Türkiye on SundayRaidsagainst LGBTI+ activists and associations. In total, police measures were carried out against 162 activists, 9 associations and 13 companies. During a raid aloneIzmir18 people were arrested, 16 of whom are now in custody.

The focus was also on the Kaos GL association - the organization advocates for the rights of LGBTI+ people in Turkey. In oneopinionKaos GL reports that members of its board of directors and supervisory board were arrested and its website and social media channels were blocked. The Turkish state also confiscated the club's electronic devices and cash holdings.

Dozens of other websites and social media accounts belonging to other organizations and individuals were also blocked.

Accusation of “obscenity”

The raids were initiatedAkin Gurlek, the justice minister of the fascist Turkish government. According to him, the operation also enjoyed the approval of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The attack on the LGBTI+ movement comes as part of an escalating wave of repression that Erdoğan ushered in with Operation “Ailem Güvende” (Eng. “My Family is Safe”) and the “Decade of the Family and the Population”.

Türkiye: “Year of the Family” as an attack on LGBTI+ rights

Specifically, the association and other activists are accused of “obscenity” and prostitution. Under theFighting conceptobszonity (tr. Müstehcenlik), the fascist state pursues any form of sexual self-determination that goes against the “general moral ideas of society, public order and social peace.”violates. This refers to everything that questions the patriarchal family image of father, mother and child.

Raids are not an isolated incident

The persecution of LGBTI+ people in Turkey is not a novelty, but rather an elementary part of the Erdoğan government's fascist ideology. During Pride Month this year, for example, numerous social media accounts of LGBTI+ associations and activists were blocked. The Istanbul police had previously monitored social media using a so-called “virtual patrol”.sifted through– a virtual patrol that automatically monitors and blocks unwanted content.

Participation in Christopher Street Day demonstrations is also heavily criminalized - these have been officially banned in Turkey for over ten years. Overall, LGBTI+ protests are regularly confronted with brutal police violence.

LGBTI+ activists have also long been prosecuted in court under obscenity laws and bans on demonstrations. For example, at the end of last year, two activists from the women's organization Özgür Genç Kadin (Free Young Women) were taken to court for taking part in a Pride demonstration. At the same time, the organization Genç LGBTI+ (Young LGBTI+) was banned.

Turkish state against LGBTI+: bans, persecution and condemnation of activists

Police violence and arrests at solidarity demonstrations

In Izmir, activists from the İzmir Emek ve Demokrasi Güçleri’nin (Izmir Workers and Democracy Forces) showed solidarity on Monday. Under the motto “LGBTI+ existence and standing up for rights is not a crime,” the group held a demonstration against the attacks on LGBTI+ activists and organizations. The demonstrators demanded the release of all activists arrested the day before, as well as an end to the persecution of LGBTI+ people.

The Turkish police responded to the counter-protests with further criminalization and police violence. During a press conference following the demonstration, Turkish police attacked the crowd and arrested two people.

The postTürkiye: Raids and repression against LGBTI+ activistsappeared firstperspective.