ع
The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said operations across 12 provinces led to the detention of 26 people and the search of six LGBTQ+ association offices, with items including drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm recovered during the action. In a parallel move, the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office reported detaining 21 individuals in an investigation focused on the Kaos GL association. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that the coordinated probes spanned 15 provinces and encompassed proceedings against 162 suspects along with nine associations and 13 businesses.
Kaos GL, an Ankara-based LGBTQ+ rights group, placed the total number of activists detained at 50, a figure exceeding the prosecutors’ count, and noted that more than 10 had been taken from their residences. The association further stated that authorities had restricted access to dozens of websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ organisations, activists and advocates. According to the group, officials accused it of making online posts with obscenities available to children and sought the closure of its X account along with those of around 15 similar entities.
Akin Gurlek said the investigations, handled by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin, formed part of efforts to counter activities that could influence minors on sexual orientation and gender identity. “As per the duty to protect families and children given to the state by the constitution, no criminal organization, abuse network or illegal activity which targets children, youths or families will be tolerated!” the minister stated. The prosecutor’s office indicated that the raids, conducted under the “My Family is Safe” banner, sought to stop such conduct from being viewed as normal in society to benefit children and safeguard the family institution.
Human Rights Watch reported in October 2025 that a leaked draft of the 11th Judicial Package contained amendments to the penal and civil codes that could criminalise LGBT individuals and lead to prison terms.[[1]](https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/29/turkiye-draft-law-threatens-lgbt-people-with-prison) The organisation urged the government to drop the proposals immediately, describing them as one of the most alarming rights reversals in decades. Fifteen Turkish LGBT groups voiced strong concerns that the changes would undermine their basic freedoms, legal equality and role in democratic society.
Turkish officials have banned Pride marches in Istanbul since 2015, citing security concerns, with police detaining over 50 participants in the 2025 event according to an Associated Press report.[[2]](https://apnews.com/article/istanbul-pride-lgbtq-crackdown-515d46b4d73d84293e6a966dc2632b9e) President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration has escalated its criticism of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, including naming 2025 the Year of the Family to address declining birth rates. A separate Reuters dispatch from June 2026 detailed how authorities linked some earlier detentions of LGBTQ+ activists to preparations for an international summit.[[3]](https://www.reuters.com/world/turkey-detains-209-anti-terror-raids-security-tightened-ahead-nato-summit-2026-06-23/)
The raids extended to venues in districts such as Beyoglu and Sisli in Istanbul as well as locations in Ankara and other cities. Prosecutors maintained that evidence pointed to inappropriate influence on children and youths regarding gender and orientation matters. Rights groups have condemned the moves as discriminatory, with the Human Rights Association characterising them as a political effort to impose a uniform family structure and dismantle independent civil society.
