Istanbul Police Detain Dozens Protesting LGBTQ+ Crackdown

Turkish police detained dozens of demonstrators outside Istanbul's Caglayan courthouse on Tuesday, after they gathered to demand the release of LGBTQ+ activists taken into custody during a broad crackdown days earlier.

Officers surrounded the group before detaining them, according to accounts of the scene. The protesters had carried banners reading "Being LGBT+ and organizing is not a crime" and chanted slogans in support of LGBTQ+ rights before police moved in.

"We are going through a period where there is an attempt by the ruling power to portray LGBT+ people as the cause of every problem in this society," said Banu Aslan, 36, one of those protesting.

The detentions followed a weekend operation in which authorities targeted multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals. Dozens of members were detained, association offices were broken into, and popular gathering spots were raided. The organizations' websites were also blocked.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said the crackdown was intended to "protect children, the institution of the family, and public order." He said the operation, named "My Family is Safe," focused on 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses.

Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, France, voiced concern on Tuesday over the raids and detentions. "Mere references to 'family values' or 'protection of children' cannot serve as legal justification for human rights restrictions," he said in a statement. He called on Turkish authorities to release anyone detained for human rights or civil society work and said he would keep monitoring the situation.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, rooted in Turkey's Islamic movement, has grown increasingly vocal against LGBTQ+ groups as it seeks to shore up its conservative base. Istanbul Pride was banned in 2015, after earlier editions drew tens of thousands of attendees, and authorities have since forcibly dispersed attempts to hold Pride gatherings. This summer, an LGBTQ+ cruise ship that tours the Mediterranean and had docked in Turkey several times before was refused permission to dock.