Turkish police arrest dozens at Istanbul LGBTQ+ protest

September 16, 2026 at 03:26 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Turkish police arrested dozens of protesters outside Istanbul's main courthouse on Tuesday as they demanded the release of LGBTQ+ activists detained over the weekend. The arrests are part of a widening government crackdown on LGBTQ+ venues and activists across multiple provinces. Rights groups and the Council of Europe have raised concerns over the campaign.

Key Facts

Turkish police arrested dozens of protesters outside Istanbul's main courthouse on Tuesday.
The protesters were calling for the release of LGBTQ+ activists detained over the weekend in raids on gay bars and activists' homes.
Turkey's Justice Minister said the operation targeted 162 individuals, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.
Human Rights Watch reported that Turkey blocked or restricted access to social media accounts and websites of dozens of LGBT, media and rights organisations.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty expressed concern over the arrests, raids and website blockings.

The Protest

Protesters gathered outside Istanbul's main courthouse on Tuesday to demand the release of LGBTQ+ activists arrested over the weekend. Police made several arrests after some demonstrators unfurled a banner reading 'Being LGBTQ is not a crime'. Protesters chanted 'Long live the struggle for freedom!' and called for the detained activists to be released, AFP reported. One protester told AFP, 'What we are seeing now is deeply disturbing.'

The Crackdown

The Turkish government has detained LGBTQ+ community members and activists under a campaign dubbed 'My Family is Safe', which it says protects family values. Over the past week, authorities raided association offices, blocked websites and made arrests across multiple provinces. Turkey's Justice Minister said the operation was conducted against 162 individuals, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces under the coordination of several Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices. Human Rights Watch reported that Turkey blocked or restricted access to social media accounts and websites of dozens of LGBT, media and rights organisations.

Reaction

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty said he was concerned by reports of arrests, raids and blocking of websites and social media accounts targeting LGBTI civil society and human rights defenders across Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described LGBTQ people as 'perverts' responsible for the falling birth rate. Same-sex relations are not an offence in Turkey, but homophobia is common.