Turkish police detain 47 in raids on gay bars and LGBTQ+ activists' homes

September 13, 2026 at 07:25 PM2 min

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Turkish police detained 47 people in weekend raids on gay bars and LGBTQ+ activists' homes across 12 provinces. The operation, part of the government's 'My Family is Safe' campaign, targeted LGBTQ+ association Kaos GL and seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm. The Ankara chief prosecutor's office said 21 people were detained in a separate investigation into Kaos GL, while the group reported 50 activists detained and websites blocked.

Key Facts

Police detained 47 people in raids across 12 provinces over the weekend.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said 26 people were detained and drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm were seized.
The Ankara chief prosecutor's office said 21 people were detained in a separate investigation into LGBTQ+ association Kaos GL.
Kaos GL reported 50 activists detained and more than 10 taken after police raids on their homes.
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal proceedings have been started against more than 160 people and a number of organisations and companies.

The Raids

Raids took place in 12 provinces over the weekend as part of a campaign dubbed 'My Family is Safe' that the Turkish government says has been designed to protect family values. One of the targets of the operation was LGBTQ+ association Kaos GL. Officers detained 26 people and seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm during the raids, according to the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office. In a separate statement, the Ankara chief prosecutor's office said another 21 people had been detained as part of an investigation into Kaos GL. The organisation said 50 activists had been detained, more than 10 taken after police raids on their homes.

Government Campaign

As part of 'My Family is Safe', Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek says legal proceedings have been started against more than 160 people and a number of organisations and companies across the country. Gurlek did not say how many people had been taken into custody, but said the raids came in the context of the 'Decade of the Family' campaign. Same-sex relations are not an offence in Turkey but homophobia is common, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing LGBTQ people as 'perverts' responsible for the falling birth rate. Same-sex marriage is not recognised in Turkey, with growing pressure on gay couples.

Rights Groups' Response

Human rights groups in Turkey have accused the government of using the campaign to target the LGBTQ+ community. The Turkish Human Rights Association says the Turkish government has been using the campaign to target the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. 'The real name of this operation is not "My Family is Safe"; it is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society,' the organisation said on X. Kaos GL said authorities have accused it of making 'obscenity' in online posts available to children and demanded the shutting down of its X account and those of around 15 other LGBTQ+ organisations.