(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) Turkish authorities launch anti-LGBTQ raids, detaining dozens | LGBTQ News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/turkish-authorities-launch-anti-lgbtq-raids-detaining-dozens)                                             (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/9/14/turkish-authorities-launch-anti-lgbtq-raids-detaining-dozens)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/afp_6aa7545e23d8-1789351006.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/09/afp_6aa7545e23d8-1789351006.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.e3bc53a0.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~41c72a2c.3f309873.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~06be7c11.0625e98d.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/pages/article-page~493df0b3.accd71c7.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (turkish-authorities-launch-anti-lgbtq-raids-detaining-dozens@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/lgbtq/) LGBTQ   Turkish authorities launch anti-LGBTQ raids, detaining dozens Turkish police raid LGBTQ groups across major cities, arresting at least 60 in a major crackdown.   Listen   Listen (3 mins)       Save       Share Turkish authorities launch anti-LGBTQ raids, detaining dozens on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F9sftq4) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Turkish%20authorities%20launch%20anti-LGBTQ%20raids%2C%20detaining%20dozens&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F9sftq4) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F9sftq4) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/9sftq4)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (Police officers in uniform stand on a pavement outside a building at night.)   Turkish police stand outside a nightclub during a raid as part of the "My Family is Safe" operation in Istanbul on September 13, 2026 [AFP]   By  AFP, APand Reuters   Published On 14 Sep 2026 14 Sep 2026    Turkish police have detained dozens of people after conducting nationwide raids targeting LGBTQ organisations. Police swooped on gay bars, offices and homes of activists in major cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Mersin on Sunday, escalating Turkiye’s decade-long hostility towards LGBTQ groups.        State news agency Anadolu quoted prosecutors in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir as saying that at least 63 people were detained, the AFP news agency reported. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said in a social media post on Sunday that prosecutors had launched an investigation into 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses to “protect children, the institution of the family, and public order”. Turkish authorities targeted current and former members of multiple LGBTQ rights and HIV awareness groups. The organisations’ websites were blocked days before the police raids. Gurlek said the “My Family is Safe” operations on Sunday aligned with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 10-year “Decade of Family and Population” executive order, which aims to combat Turkiye’s falling birthrate. “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!” Gurlek wrote on X. LGBTQ rights organisation Kaos GL, whose offices were searched and activists taken into custody, said that “nearly 50 defenders of the rights of LGBTQ people … have been taken into custody or are subject to legal proceedings involving interrogations or detentions”. Advertisement    Judicial authorities in Turkiye’s capital, Ankara, accused Kaos GL of publishing “posts containing obscenity” online and said that the content was accessible to children, according to the rights group. (Pro-LGBTQ demonstrators walk down a street in Istanbul, Turkiye, on June 30, 2019, after authorities banned the Pride March for the fifth year running)  Pro-LGBTQ demonstrators walk down a street in Istanbul, Turkiye, on June 30, 2019, after authorities banned the Pride March for the fifth year running [File: Getty Images]  Rights activists accused the Turkish government of hardening its rhetoric and restrictions against Turkiye’s LGBTQ community in recent years. “The real name of this operation is not ‘My Family is Safe’; it is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society,” the Turkish Human Rights Association said on X. The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkiye, Nacho Sanchez Amor, condemned the detentions as “a shocking escalation in the repression” in the country. The governing AK Party (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/6/28/water-cannon-used-to-disperse-istanbul-gay-pride-parade) banned Istanbul Pride in 2015. Any (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/6/17/turkey-bans-istanbul-gay-pride-due-to-security-fears) attempted gatherings since then have been (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/6/20/turkish-riot-police-break-up-lgbt-rally-in-istanbul) violently dispersed by authorities.            aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss     (https://bsky.app/profile/aljazeera.com) bluesky     (https://www.tiktok.com/@aljazeeraenglish) tiktok-colored-outline                  (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network