Turkey Raids 162 People, 9 Associations, and 13 Businesses in LGBT+ Crackdown

Turkish police launched a nationwide operation targeting LGBT+ associations, activists, and venues across 15 provinces, detaining at least 162 people over a single weekend, according to officials and rights groups [240438][240470]. The government called the crackdown "Ailem Güvende," meaning "My Family Is Safe" [240468].

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced legal action against 162 individuals, nine associations, and 13 businesses as part of the operations [240470]. He justified the crackdown by citing the need to protect "family and social order" [240470]. Ankara says the raids are meant to protect family values, while critics call them a direct attack on LGBT+ rights [240438].

In Istanbul, the public prosecutor said 38 people were processed under the operation, with 26 detained and police searching six LGBT+ associations across 12 provinces [240466]. Police also raided the Kaos GL association in Ankara, detaining members of its board of directors and supervisory board and searching the group's office [240473]. Simultaneous raids targeted other LGBTI+ associations and venues in several provinces [240473].

The Human Rights Defenders Solidarity Network condemned the operation, stating, "Defending human rights and LGBT+ rights is not a crime" [240457]. Politicians, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders also condemned the operation on social media, saying it strikes at the heart of LGBT+ existence in the country [240468].

Separately, Turkish authorities restricted access to 14 X accounts from within Turkey, including those of LGBT+ organizations KaosGL and Velvele [240472]. A separate decision to block 11 Instagram accounts has been issued but not yet enforced [240472].

In a separate development, Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled that the rights of Tayfun Kahraman, a defendant in the Gezi Park trial, were violated on two grounds [240474]. Kadir Özkaya, head of the Constitutional Court (AYM), said the court found violations of both Kahraman's right to a fair trial and his right to individual application [240474]. Özkaya said the court's full reasoning for the decision is still being prepared for publication [240474].

Additionally, Turkey's Ministry of Health defended a new age restriction on hormone access for transgender people, saying it aims to "protect the family structure" [239238]. Under the rule, transgender individuals must be at least 21 years old to obtain hormone prescriptions [239238].