Turkey Blocks 100+ LGBTQ Accounts After Raids, Drawing EU and Domestic Backlash
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Sep 16
Turkey Blocks 100+ LGBTQ Accounts After Raids, Drawing EU and Domestic Backlash
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Sep 16
Summary
More than 100 social media accounts and websites tied to LGBTQ+ groups, activists and allied organizations were blocked after weekend raids in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir that also led to several arrests.
A September 13 Istanbul court ruling underpinned the suspensions, while prosecutors cited probes into "obscene content and LGBTQ+ propaganda" and some outlets reported "national security" grounds.
Tuesday protests in Istanbul revived resistance, with LGBTQ+ groups and 120 women's organizations saying the operation seeks to criminalize organizing and silence dissent under the banner of protecting families.
The Turkish Medical Association, opposition politicians, the EU and Human Rights Watch condemned the crackdown as discrimination and digital censorship, noting homosexuality itself is not illegal in Turkey.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had framed the campaign within his 2025 "Decade of Family and Population" drive, linking the latest action to a broader push for conservative family policy.