The Turkish security forces have launched a wide operation in recent hours against organizations that work in the defense of the rights of the LGTBI community and against activists, in actions that, according to the authorities, target "nine organizations, thirteen companies, and 162 suspects."
The Minister of Justice, Akin Gurlek, has explained that "as part of the 'My family is safe' operations, operations have been carried out in collaboration with the Police and the Gendarmerie after legal proceedings were initiated against 162 suspects, nine organizations, and thirteen companies in 15 provinces."
In a statement disseminated on social media, Gurlek defended that these actions are part of the Government's efforts to "protect children, the family institution, and social order," and detailed that during the raids, "narcotic substances and numerous digital materials" have been seized.
The Justice Minister added that the investigations have targeted "people who facilitate or provide places for prostitution, companies suspected of providing an environment for these activities, people who produce and disseminate obscene content, and activities aimed at exposing children to such content."
"Within the framework of the responsibility that our Constitution imposes on the State regarding the protection of the family and children, we will not tolerate any criminal organization, abuse network, or illegal activity that targets our children, youth, and families," Gurlek concluded.
As part of this operation, the Police have raided several gay bars in Istanbul and various public male restrooms in the city. Although homosexual relations are not classified as a crime in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that homosexuals are "perverts."
The LGTBI organization Kaos GL has reported in a statement that several of its members have been detained and that their offices have been searched by the security forces. It has specified that "members of the board of directors and the audit office" are in custody and "more than ten activists have been detained in police raids at their homes," with no further details released so far.
Criticism for a large-scale operation against LGTBI+ organizations
The Network of Solidarity of Human Rights Defenders has qualified what happened as "a large-scale operation against LGTBI+ organizations and human rights defenders," among them activists from the platform itself.
The coalition has expressed its "great concern" over the "numerous detentions" and what it considers an "attack against the LGBTI+ movement in general." In its view, "the criminalization of legitimate and legal activities in the field of LGTBI+ rights, associating them with pimping, obscenity, drug trafficking, and similar crimes is unacceptable."
The group has also denounced the dissemination of information about the income and expenditure accounts of legal associations, "presented in a way that raises suspicions of crime," which, it warns, "seriously affects the right to association" and seeks to "discredit LGTBI+ organizations and restrict the freedom of association."
In its statement, the signing organizations emphasize that "defending human rights and LGTBI+ rights is not a crime. Our friends, with whom we fight for rights, must be released immediately and unconditionally. All pressure and interference to hinder the existence, freedom of association, and defense activities of LGTBI+ people must cease immediately."
Among others, Kaos GL, Amnesty International, the 17th of May Association, Civil Rights Defenders, the Equality Rights Monitoring Association, the Migration Monitoring Association (GöçIzDer), the Center for Memory, Justice, and Truth, the Women's Association for Culture, Art, and Literature, the Women's Human Rights Association, and the Women's Time Association participate in the Network of Solidarity of Human Rights Defenders.
Also part of it are the Association for Media Studies and Law, Lawyers for the Freedom of Association, the Independent Journalism Association Punto24, the Turkey Research Institute, the Rosa Women's Association, the Civil Society Research Association, Social Policy, the Association for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Studies, the Star Women’s Association, and the Center for Non-Violence.
Likewise, the Center for Non-Violence, the Support Association for the Tarlabasi Community, the Research Foundation of Society and Law, the Solidarity Network for Gender Equality, the Turkey-Europe Culture Forum, the Project for Supporting Human Rights Cases in Turkey, the Human Rights Foundation Turkey, the University Association for Solidarity with Queer and LGTBI+ Research, and the Freedom Memory Life Association are included.