Turkish police fired tear gas on Monday at demonstrators in the western city of Izmir protesting the growing targeting of LGBTQ activists, an AFP photographer reported.
The rally came a day after police carried out sweeping nationwide raids, arresting dozens of people in a campaign the government said was aimed at promoting traditional family values.
Turkey‘s LGBTQ community has been increasingly targeted by authorities, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan branding it a «deviant movement» of «perverts».
About 200 people gathered in Izmir to protest the arrests, chanting slogans including, «You will never walk alone» and «May your so-called holy family go to hell», in reference to the government’s excuse for the raids.
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Police detained two protesters, including a lawyer, the AFP journalist reported.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said Sunday the raids formed part of Erdogan’s «Decade of the Family» initiative, which he said sought to «protect our children, the institution of the family and social order».
Organisers of the Izmir protest rejected that explanation in a statement.
«Protecting the family does not require taking people into custody from their homes in the early hours of the morning, raiding associations, criminalising human rights defenders, or making the identities and very existence of LGBTI+ individuals the subject of investigations,» they said.
The European Union (EU) on Monday voiced concern over the arrests and urged Ankara to ensure respect for human rights.
«The Commission is concerned about the recent arrests and legal proceedings initiated against LGBTIQ+ activists, human rights associations, and businesses,» said Christian Wigand, a spokesman for the European Commission.
More accounts blocked
Several X and Instagram accounts belonging to rights groups and media organisations were blocked in Turkey following a request from authorities after the raids, a watchdog said Monday.
The accounts of the Evrensel newspaper, Amnesty International Turkey, the Academics for Peace and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) were among those blocked on Monday, according to the Ifod (Freedom of Expression Association) media watchdog.
X also blocked the accounts of more than a dozen Turkish LGBTQ organisations and rights groups over the weekend, Ifod said.
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Those affected included the Kaos GL rights group and lawyer, Levent Piskin, it added.
In a post on X on Monday, Gurlek said the government was «continuing our efforts to protect the family, our children and our youth from all forms of exploitation, obscenity, crime and harmful content».
«We will show no tolerance for any criminal organisation targeting the institution of the family, the future of our youth and social order,» he wrote.
According to Kaos GL – whose offices were searched and executives detained – prosecutors in Ankara accused it of publishing «obscene» content accessible to children.
While same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, hostility towards LGBTQ people remains widespread.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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