Turkey cracks down on LGBTQ+ protests and activists

In September 2026, the Turkish government launched a nationwide operation named "My Family is Safe," signaling a major escalation in its crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community.

Police conducted simultaneous raids across 15 provinces, targeting LGBTQ+ associations, businesses, and private residences.

Authorities detained at least 63 individuals and initiated legal proceedings against 162 suspects, citing the need to protect "family values" and "public order."

This aggressive move follows a decade of increasingly hostile rhetoric from the ruling party, which has historically used anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment to bolster support among its conservative base.

While homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, public expressions such as Pride marches have been banned since 2015.

Rights groups and international observers have condemned these raids as a systematic effort to dismantle independent civil society and enforce a narrow, state-sanctioned vision of family life.

As legal protections remain absent and institutional pressure mounts, the future of LGBTQ+ activism in Turkey faces unprecedented challenges, with the government continuing to use the judiciary and public morality laws to silence opposition and curtail freedom of association.