Turkey arrests at least 63 in anti-LGBT+ crackdown
Turkish authorities raided LGBTQ+ venues, association offices and activists’ homes in several cities under the government’s “My Family is Safe” operations.
Turkish authorities reportedly arrested at least 63 people on 14 September during raids targeting gay bars, nightclubs, LGBTQ+ association offices and activists’ homes in several cities.
Turkey’s justice minister confirmed the operation, while the state news agency reported that more than 60 people had been arrested. The supplied reports do not provide the legal basis for the arrests or details about those detained.
The raids were conducted under the government’s “My Family is Safe” campaign, which retrieved reporting linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s broader “Decade of the Family” initiative.
Earlier reporting cited Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Mersin among the locations involved, and identified LGBTQ+ venues, organisations, businesses and activists as targets. The supplied report does not specify the full list of locations or raids.
Human rights groups condemned the operation. The arrest figure has not been independently verified in the supplied material, and other reports put the number at at least 60.
