Istanbul police detain dozens of LGBT+ rights supporters
Turkish police detained dozens of people on Tuesday who were protesting outside an Istanbul courthouse to demand the release of LGBT+ activists arrested days earlier. The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner voiced concern over the crackdown.
On Tuesday, September 15, Turkish law enforcement detained dozens of demonstrators who had gathered outside a courthouse in Istanbul's Caglayan district. The protesters were demanding the release of LGBT+ community activists who had been detained a few days earlier. The news was reported by AP and relayed by the outlet "European Pravda."
Demonstrators held signs stating that being LGBT+ and organizing together is not a crime, and chanted slogans in support of the community's rights. Police surrounded the group before making the arrests.
International reaction
The same day, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty expressed concern over the raids and detentions. He stated that simple references to "family values" or "child protection" cannot serve as legal justification for restricting human rights, and called on Turkish authorities to release everyone detained for involvement in human rights or civil society activities.
Preceding events
On Sunday, September 13, more than 20 people were detained in Turkey and searches were conducted at the offices of six LGBT+ organizations, as part of raids stemming from accusations of prostitution and distribution of indecent materials.
The detentions are taking place as part of a government campaign called "My Family Is Safe," coinciding with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's promotion of a "Family and Population Decade" initiative aimed at addressing declining birth rates and an aging population.
