Turkey jails 31 in LGBTQ+ operation as 126 protesters are detained

Turkish authorities have arrested at least 31 people pending trial as part of a nationwide operation targeting LGBTQ+ organisations and associated individuals, while police detained at least 126 people during demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul against the raids and arrests. The latest judicial actions included five transgender women jailed pending trial in Ankara and 26 people in Mersin, according to lawyers cited by Reuters. The government says the wider operation, called “My Family is Safe,” is intended to protect children and family values, while rights organisations argue that legitimate civil-society activity is being restricted.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said investigations coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin cover 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces. Authorities have also restricted websites and social-media accounts, including the X account of Amnesty International Türkiye, while Amnesty says more than 180 online accounts belonging to organisations, activists, journalists and others have been blocked or restricted.

What is Turkey’s ‘My Family is Safe’ operation and how large has it become?

The operation began with coordinated raids across several provinces and rapidly expanded into investigations involving individuals, organisations and businesses. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights cited the Turkish justice minister’s figures showing that 162 individuals, nine associations and 13 businesses are within the scope of investigations across 15 provinces. Prosecutors in five major cities are coordinating the cases, giving the operation a national rather than local character.

The government has linked the investigations to issues including protection of children, public morality and the activities and financing of LGBTQ+ organisations. Amnesty International says the Justice Ministry also instructed prosecutors across the country to assess complaints, preserve digital evidence and seek removal or blocking of online material when authorities consider it necessary. These are distinct legal and administrative tools, meaning people affected by the campaign may face criminal investigation, detention or online restrictions depending on the individual case.

How many people have actually been arrested, detained or jailed?

The numbers vary because temporary police detention, formal arrest and pretrial detention describe different stages of the legal process. Reuters reported on September 15 that at least 31 people had been arrested pending trial in the latest phase, while at least 126 protesters were detained in Ankara and Istanbul during demonstrations. The protest detainees should not automatically be counted as defendants in the original investigations because some were detained while objecting to the campaign itself.

Amnesty International separately said more than 60 people had been arrested across 15 provinces since the weekend and that at least 23 had entered pretrial detention by the time of its statement. Differences between counts can reflect timing, location and legal status rather than necessarily indicating conflicting reporting. The safest conclusion is that the campaign has involved scores of arrests and a larger number of protest detentions, with legal proceedings continuing.

Why were another 126 people detained during protests in Ankara and Istanbul?

Demonstrations developed after courts began remanding suspects and police conducted raids against LGBTQ+ organisations. Reuters reported that police prevented one group from giving a statement outside an Istanbul courthouse and dispersed demonstrators attempting to gather in Ankara. Lawyers said at least 126 people were detained during those protests.

The protest cases add a freedom-of-assembly dimension to what began primarily as criminal and regulatory investigations. Authorities have powers to impose restrictions on gatherings under Turkish law, while protesters and rights groups argue that peaceful opposition to the raids should remain protected. Determining the legality of individual detentions would depend on the circumstances and charges in each case rather than the existence of the broader controversy.

Why are the Council of Europe and Amnesty International challenging the Turkish government’s approach?

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty said he was concerned by arrests, raids and restrictions on websites and social-media accounts affecting LGBTQ+ civil society and human-rights defenders. He argued that references to protecting children or family values cannot by themselves justify limitations on fundamental rights and called for people detained solely for legitimate human-rights or civil-society activities to be released.

Amnesty International has taken a stronger advocacy position, describing the campaign as an unjustified crackdown and calling for detained activists to be freed. The organisation also says its Turkish X account was blocked after a decision communicated through the Cyber Security Presidency under Turkey’s internet law. These assessments represent the positions of human-rights organisations and European institutions, while the Turkish government says it is pursuing lawful investigations intended to protect families and children.

What role do online restrictions play in the nationwide investigation?

Digital restrictions appear to be an important component because activists and organisations use social platforms for public communication, fundraising and organising events. Amnesty says more than 180 social-media accounts have been blocked or restricted, alongside websites connected with LGBTQ+ groups, journalists, media organisations and other individuals. Turkish authorities have powers under domestic internet legislation to seek access restrictions where specified legal grounds are invoked.

Blocking an account is separate from proving a criminal offence, and that distinction will matter in subsequent legal challenges. Rights groups may contest whether restrictions are proportionate and sufficiently specific, while prosecutors may argue that online material forms part of investigations requiring evidence preservation or access controls. The legal record from those challenges could ultimately have consequences beyond LGBTQ+ organisations because the same mechanisms apply more broadly to digital speech inside Turkey.

What are the key takeaways from Turkey’s nationwide LGBTQ+ investigations?

The confirmed facts show a large, coordinated operation rather than a single police raid. Investigations span 15 provinces and involve 162 people, nine associations and 13 businesses according to the Turkish justice minister, while dozens of people have entered pretrial detention and more than 100 demonstrators were detained during protests. Significant restrictions have also been imposed on websites and social-media accounts.

The central dispute concerns the legal justification and proportionality of those actions. The government presents the operation as protecting children and family values and pursuing suspected offences, while rights organisations argue that the measures restrict association, expression and peaceful advocacy. Court proceedings involving individual defendants and challenges to online restrictions will provide more concrete evidence about how broadly the campaign is ultimately interpreted.