Turkey raids LGBTQ+ groups, detains dozens in crackdown across five cities

Turkish authorities cracked down on multiple LGBTQ groups and individuals early Sunday morning detaining dozens of members breaking into association offices and raiding popular hangoutsIn an escalation of its decadelong hostility toward LGBTQ groups particularly in the leadup to elections simultaneous police raids beginning at 1 am took place in the major cities of Istanbul Ankara Izmir Aydin and MersinJustice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on social media that the investigation into 162 suspects nine associations and 13 businesses was to protect children the institution of the family and public order in line with President Recep Tayyip Erdogans 10year executive order relating to families and childrenAs per the duty to protect families and children given to the state by the constitution no criminal organisation abuse network or illegal activity which targets children youths or families will be tolerated Gurlek saidThe raids targeted both current and former members of multiple prominent LGBTQ rights and HIV awareness groups The organisations websites were also blockedGurlek also noted that such associations were found to receive significant funding from international sources and agenciesThe Human Rights Association condemned the raids This is not a judicial investigation it is a political operation aimed at forcing society into a monolithic family model and purging LGBTI and independent civil society under the guise of protecting the family and children it saidTo include unrelated charges such as forming a criminal organisation drugs prostitution and obscenity serves not to reveal the truth but to incriminate the entire communityThe religious conservative Justice and Development Party has been increasingly vocal against LGBTQ groups to play up to the more conservative elements of its base In 2015 it banned Istanbul Pride which had tens of thousands of attendees in previous years prior Since then authorities have violently dispersed any attempted gatherings for PrideThis summer an LGBTQ cruise ship that tours the Mediterranean and has docked in Turkiye multiple times in the past was refused permission to dock thereThe Ottoman Empire predecessor to the modern republic of Turkiye decriminalised homosexuality in 1858 however there is still significant social discriminationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever