Turkey Releases 106 LGBTQ Protesters as Authorities Order Further Detentions

11:55

Turkish authorities have released 106 people detained during a protest in Istanbul, while courts in several cities have ordered dozens of other activists and members of the LGBTQ community to remain in custody following a nationwide crackdown.

The 106 protesters were detained on Tuesday outside an Istanbul courthouse, where activists had planned to issue a statement condemning police raids carried out against LGBTQ people and organizations over the weekend. The Progressive Lawyers Association (CHD) confirmed on Wednesday evening that all 106 had been released. An AFP correspondent witnessed most of the releases.

Two journalists were among those detained. One worked for the left-wing Turkish newspaper BirGün, while the other was a journalist with German broadcaster ARD. Both were taken into custody while covering the demonstration, according to CHD and BirGün.

Weekend raids targeted LGBTQ community

The arrests followed a major police operation launched early Sunday morning. Authorities carried out searches at gay bars, nightclubs and private residences belonging to activists and members of the LGBTQ community.

The operation was conducted under warrants covering 162 individuals, nine organizations and 13 businesses across 15 Turkish provinces. Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir were among the cities affected.

The Turkish Lawyers for Justice Association (AIH) said 109 people were detained during the raids.

The government's justification for the operation has focused on the protection of children and the family. Justice Minister officials have defended the measures on those grounds, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly used hostile language when referring to LGBTQ people.

The crackdown has intensified amid the government's designation of 2026 as the beginning of a national "Decade of the Family."

Courts order further detentions

The release of the Istanbul protesters has not halted the wider legal proceedings. By Wednesday evening, courts in several Turkish cities had ordered 81 people detained during Sunday's raids to remain in pretrial custody, according to Kaos GL, a prominent LGBTQ rights organization that was itself targeted.

In Istanbul, 33 people appeared before a court on Wednesday. Twenty were ordered into custody, while the remaining 13 were released subject to judicial conditions, Kaos GL reported.

At least nine of those sent to prison were representatives of LGBTQ organizations.

Earlier, a court in Ankara ordered 13 people to be jailed on Tuesday evening. Those detained included seven Kaos GL members, five transgender people and a journalist.

In Mersin, another 28 people were reportedly imprisoned, according to the Turkish news agency DHA.

Online restrictions continue

The pressure has also extended into the digital sphere. Restrictions imposed on websites and social-media accounts belonging to LGBTQ organizations, activists and rights groups since Saturday remained in place on Wednesday.

The Turkish Freedom of Expression Association (IFOD) said that additional accounts had been blocked, including those belonging to several left-wing journalists, a socialist media outlet and two federations representing women's organizations.

The restrictions come after authorities also blocked access to accounts linked to lawyers, human rights defenders, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), Amnesty International Turkey, the "Academics for Peace" collective and the newspaper Evrensel, among others.

LGBTQ rights remain under growing pressure

Same-sex relations remain legal in Turkey, but LGBTQ people face widespread hostility and increasing political pressure. Rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about restrictions on public demonstrations, civil society groups and freedom of expression.

The latest arrests have drawn criticism from opposition political parties and European officials.

Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, described the arrests as a "shocking escalation of repression."

The events of the past several days illustrate the widening pressure on LGBTQ organizations and activists in Turkey, combining arrests and pretrial detention with restrictions affecting civil society groups and online expression.