Turkish Government Intensifies Crackdown on LGTBIAQ+ Community

• Turkish authorities have arrested over 160 individuals and restricted more than 180 online accounts belonging to LGTBIAQ+ activists and organizations under the 'Ailem Güvende' (My Family is Safe) operation.
• The government claims to be investigating crimes related to 'obscenity' and 'child exploitation,' but civil society groups like Amnesty International warn this is a pretext to criminalize legitimate rights advocacy.
• Turkey now ranks below 5 out of 100 on the ILGA Rainbow Index, placing it alongside Russia and Azerbaijan as one of the worst nations in Europe for queer rights.

Legislative and Administrative Pressure

• A recent Ministry of Justice circular instructs prosecutors nationwide to investigate any activity or content deemed contrary to 'public morality' regarding children and families, specifically targeting 'gender-neutral' activities.
• Proposed legal reforms, including a leaked '11th Judicial Package' from 2025, aim to criminalize public displays of affection, hormone replacement therapy, and legal gender recognition, extending state control into the private sphere.
• The government withdrew from the Istanbul Convention in 2021, an international treaty on preventing gender-based violence, citing it as an attempt to 'normalize homosexuality.'

Political Instrumentalization

• President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frequently uses anti-LGTBIAQ+ rhetoric to galvanize his base, framing the community as an 'enemy of the state' that threatens traditional religious values.
• The state-led 'Year of the Family' initiative in 2025 promoted traditional nuclear families through financial incentives and natalist policies, further marginalizing those outside these norms.
• Media and public officials engage in systemic hate speech, and protestors demanding freedom for the community face violent police responses, including tear gas, at recent demonstrations.