The Turkish police today released more than 100 demonstrators who had been arrested on the eve while protesting against a vast repression of the LGBTQ community during the weekend, according to human rights defenders and a journalist.
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16/09/2026
by
Lusa
ANDthese 106 people had been arrested on Tuesday in front of an Istanbul court, where activists should read a statement denouncing the massive raids against members and activists of the LGBTQ community.
The Association of Progressive Lawyers (CHD) confirmed tonight the release of all 106 people, such as a correspondent of the French news agency AFP to watch most of these releases on site.
Among the detainees were two journalists, one from the left diary BirGün and the other from the German television chain ARD, arrested while covering the demonstration, according to the CHD and BirGün.
On Sunday morning, Turkish police raided gay bars, discos as well as houses of activists and members of the LGBTQ community, based on warrants directed at 162 people, nine organizations and 13 companies in 15 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
According to the Turkish legal association (AIH), 109 people were arrested.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in front of an Islamic-conservative government, described the LGBTQ community as a “deviant” movement composed of “perverts”.
His justice minister justified those police operations, stating that they aimed to protect “the children and the institution of the family”.
Tonight, the courts of various cities put in custody 81 of the people arrested on Sunday, according to Kaos GL, an important LGBTQ rights defense organization, which was also the subject of Sunday operations.
Another 33 people appeared today before a court in Istanbul. One judge ordered the arrest of 20 of them, while the others were released under conditions, told KAOS GL.
At least nine of the detainees represented organisations LGBTQ.
On Tuesday night, a court in Ankara ordered the arrest of 13 people, including seven members of KAOS GL, five transgender people and one journalist.
Twenty - eight other people were arrested in Mersin, DHA reported.
In addition, restrictions on access to social networking sites and accounts of LGBTQ associations, activists and groups, which began on Saturday, continued today, the Turkish association reported for freedom of expression IFOD on social network X.
The most recent blocked accounts are from several left-wing journalists, a socialist social body and two federations of women's organizations, the association said.
In recent days, the Turkish authorities have blocked access to the accounts of lawyers, human rights defenders, the MLSA legal defense group, Amnesty International Turkey, the “Academics for Peace” collective and the Evrensel newspaper, among others.
Although relations between people of the same sex are legal in Turkey, hostility against LGBTQ people remains widespread, and homophobia is evident even at the highest level of government.
Turkey’s LGBTQ community has been under increasing pressure since the government announced that 2026 will mark the beginning of its “Family Decade”.
This repression has raised criticism from opposition parties and the European Union.
Nacho Sanchez Amor, rapporteur of the European Parliament on Turkey, described these arrests as “a shocking escalation of repression”.