Turkish police have detained 47 people in a series of raids on gay bars and the homes of LGBTQ+ activists, according to prosecutors.
The operations were carried out across 12 provinces over the weekend as part of a campaign known as "My Family is Safe", which the Turkish government says is intended to protect family values.
Among those targeted was LGBTQ+ rights organisation Kaos GL, which is based in Ankara. Human rights groups have accused the government of using the initiative to intensify pressure on Turkey's LGBTQ+ community.
According to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office, 26 people were detained during raids that also resulted in the seizure of drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm.
In a separate statement, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office said a further 21 people had been detained as part of an investigation into Kaos GL.
The organisation said around 50 activists had been taken into custody, including more than 10 people arrested during police raids on their homes. It also alleged that authorities had blocked several websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ groups.
Kaos GL said prosecutors accused the organisation of publishing online content deemed "obscene" and accessible to children. The group added that authorities had sought to shut down its account on X, along with those of around 15 other LGBTQ+ organisations.
While same-sex relationships are legal in Turkey, same-sex marriage is not recognised. LGBTQ+ campaigners say hostility towards the community has increased in recent years. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly criticised LGBTQ+ people, previously describing them as "perverts" and blaming them for Turkey's declining birth rate.
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal proceedings had been launched against more than 160 individuals, as well as a number of organisations and companies, under the "My Family is Safe" initiative. He did not specify how many people had been detained but said the operation formed part of the government's wider "Decade of the Family" campaign.
The Turkish Human Rights Association condemned the raids, accusing the government of using the family-focused campaign to target LGBTQ+ people. "The real name of this operation is not 'My Family is Safe'," the organisation said in a post on X. "It is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society."
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