Turkey arrests protesters amid ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown
Turkish police detain dozens of LGBTQ+ rights protesters in Ankara, on September 15, 2026. (Getty)
Authorities in Turkey have arrested dozens more people amid an ongoing crackdown on LGBTQ+ people and organisations in the country.
Protesters were detained in Istanbul and Ankara. on Tuesday (13 September). In Istanbul, protesters had gathered outside the city’s main courthouse to demand the release of LGBTQ+ people arrested following raids on gay bars and queer organisations over the weekend.
The group unfurled a banner that read ‘Being LGBTQ is not a crime’ and were heard chanting “Long live the struggle for freedom!”, “Free those detained immediately!” and “Despite hatred, long live life!”, AFP reports.
Police who had been surveilling the gathering quickly moved in and detained the group, as well as two journalists who were covering the demonstration.
“I am very angry, frustrated and disappointed. I have been following cases concerning justice in Turkey for a very long time, and what we are seeing now is deeply disturbing,” a 44-year-old protester told AFP.
Two journalists covering the protest were among those detained.
The latest detentions come after police raided gay bars, organisation offices and activists’ homes in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Mersin on Sunday (13 September). More than 63 people were arrested, with current and former members of LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness groups among those targeted.
Several organisations had their websites blocked in the days leading up to the raids, Al Jazeera reports.
Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gürlek said in a social media post on Sunday that prosecutors were investigating 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses as part of what authorities called the “My Family is Safe” operation.
He said the investigation was intended to “protect children, the institution of the family, and public order”.
Is it safe for LGBTQ+ people to travel to Turkey?
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Turkey, but conservative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ remain widespread and travellers are advised to be cautious when travelling.
The UK government’s foreign travel advice for Turkey states: “Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Turkey. However, many parts of Turkey are socially conservative and showing affection in public could receive unwelcome attention.”
