Turkish police use tear gas against pro-LGBTQ protest in Izmir
Turkish police dispersed a protest in Izmir with tear gas after nationwide raids led to dozens of arrests targeting LGBTQ activists, prompting EU concern over human rights.
Turkish police fired tear gas on Monday to disperse around 200 people gathered in the western city of Izmir to protest the escalating targeting of LGBTQ activists. The demonstration followed nationwide raids a day earlier in which authorities arrested dozens of people, in what the government described as a campaign to promote traditional family values.
Turkey's LGBTQ community has faced growing pressure from authorities, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing it as a "deviant" and "perverted" movement. Protesters in Izmir chanted slogans rejecting the government's family-values justification for the crackdown. Police detained at least two demonstrators, including a lawyer.
Government justification and pushback
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said the raids were part of Erdogan's "Decade of the Family" initiative, aimed at protecting children, the family institution and social order. Protest organisers rejected this explanation, arguing that protecting families does not require detaining people from their homes early in the morning, raiding associations, or criminalising human rights defenders.
The European Commission voiced concern over the arrests and legal proceedings against LGBTQ activists, rights associations and businesses, urging Ankara to ensure respect for human rights.
Social media accounts blocked
Following a request from Turkish authorities, several X and Instagram accounts belonging to rights groups and media outlets were blocked, including those of the Evrensel newspaper, Amnesty International Turkey, and other organisations, according to the Ifod media watchdog. More than a dozen Turkish LGBTQ organisations also had their accounts blocked over the weekend. The offices of rights group Kaos GL were searched and its executives detained, with prosecutors accusing the group of publishing content deemed obscene and accessible to children. Although same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, hostility towards LGBTQ people remains widespread.
