Turkey Detains Dozens in Sweeping Raids on LGBTQ+ and HIV Groups (2026-09-14)

Turkish police carried out coordinated pre-dawn raids on LGBTQ+ and HIV support organisations across five major cities on Sunday, detaining dozens of people and searching association offices and private homes.

The operations, which began at about 1 a.m., took place simultaneously in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin. Officers broke into the premises of several associations and also targeted popular gathering spots, while the groups' websites were blocked.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said in a social media statement that the investigation covered 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses. He described the action as necessary to "protect children, the institution of the family, and public order," linking it to a decade-old executive order on families and children issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Gurlek also said the organisations were found to receive substantial funding from international sources and agencies.

The raids targeted both current and former members of prominent LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness groups.

The Human Rights Association condemned the operation, calling it a political move rather than a judicial investigation. It said the crackdown was aimed at imposing a single family model on society and at purging LGBTI+ and independent civil society under the pretext of protecting families and children.

The religious conservative Justice and Development Party has grown increasingly vocal against LGBTQ+ groups, a stance that appeals to its more conservative base. Istanbul Pride was banned in 2015 after drawing tens of thousands of participants in earlier years, and authorities have since broken up attempts to hold Pride gatherings.

This summer, an LGBTQ+ cruise ship that tours the Mediterranean and had docked in Turkey several times in the past was refused permission to dock.