Turkish authorities detain 150 at protest over LGBTQ+ arrests

Turkish police detained at least 150 people on Tuesday after intervening in a gathering outside Istanbul’s Caglayan courthouse, where demonstrators had assembled to protest recent arrests of individuals linked to LGBTQ+ groups.

The protesters, who had planned to issue a press statement, were prevented from doing so by police and responded by chanting “Long live life in defiance of hate” as officers moved in to disperse the crowd.

The demonstration followed a series of raids on LGBTQ+ associations in several Turkish provinces that were carried out under an operation dubbed “My Family is Safe.” Government officials have said the operation is intended to protect children and uphold family values.

Human‑rights organisations and opposition figures have described the raids, the blocking of websites and the detention of suspects across multiple provinces as part of an expanding campaign against the LGBTQ+ community.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty expressed concern over the arrests, raids and online restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ civil‑society actors, stating that references to “family values” or “the protection of children” cannot by themselves justify restrictions on human rights and calling for the release of anyone detained for human‑rights or civil‑society work.