17/09/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
The “My Family is Safe” operations, which began with access blocks on September 12, have escalated from raids and arrests to police attacks and digital censorship. We have compiled what happened day by day.
Photo: meltem ulusoy / csgorselarsiv.org
Since September 12, 2026, LGBTI+ people, LGBTI+ organizations and activists have faced detention, imprisonment, raids on organizations and digital access restrictions as part of the operations called “My Family is Safe”.
The organizations targeted by the operations include seven LGBTI+ rights organizations and two organizations working with people living with HIV. As of September 17, 116 people have been detained; 44 of those detained are LGBTI+ rights defenders. A total of 82 people have been imprisoned. Among those imprisoned are 25 LGBTI+ activists or people affiliated with LGBTI+ organizations.
Police also attacked protests held in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir against the operations. Hundreds of people were detained at protests in the three cities.
So, what has happened since September 12?
SEPTEMBER 12: FIRST ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
The wave of operations began with access restrictions imposed on the social media accounts of LGBTI+ organizations and activists.
On September 12, access restrictions began to be imposed on the social media accounts of LGBTI+ organizations, activists and LGBTI+ media outlets. In the following days, the restrictions expanded to include the accounts of journalists, human rights organizations, and people who shared information about the operations or expressed solidarity with LGBTI+ people.
As the operations continued, access restrictions were imposed on the websites and numerous social media accounts of LGBTI+ organizations including Kaos GL, Pink Life, SPoD and May 17 associations. The website of Kaos GL Association was also blocked. Since KaosGL.org has been blocked since June 2025, KaosGL1.org, where news coverage has continued to be published, was also blocked. A new X account opened by Kaos GL Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar after their previous account was also blocked.
NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 12-13: SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS AGAINST ORGANIZATIONS, HOMES AND VENUES
Simultaneous raids on homes and organizations were carried out in numerous cities under the coordination of the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Aydın and Mersin.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated that the operations covered 15 provinces, centered in five provinces, and that judicial proceedings had been initiated against 162 people, nine organizations and 13 businesses. The investigations involved accusations including “obscenity,” “prostitution” and “violating the Law on Associations.” Gürlek also stated that MASAK was examining funding received from abroad by some organizations.
Ankara: Police raid Kaos GL
Police raided the Kaos GL Association in Ankara. Members of the organization’s executive and supervisory boards, including substitute members, were detained in home raids. The organization’s office was searched and digital materials were seized.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office conducted the investigation under “obscenity” and “violating the Law on Associations,” citing content published on Kaos GL’s website and social media accounts. A total of 21 people were detained in the operations in Ankara.
Journalist Tuğba Tekerek was also detained over a report she prepared for Kaos GL about the situation of LGBTI+ people during the elections in Georgia.
Istanbul: LGBTI+ and HIV organizations targeted
Proceedings were initiated against organizations including Hevi LGBTI+, SPoD, Lambdaistanbul, Pozitif-iz and LİSTAG in Istanbul; organization executives and members were detained.
At the same time, numerous venues, including nightclubs and massage parlors, were raided in Beyoğlu and Şişli.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office linked the investigation to the “best interests of children,” “protection of the family institution” and “the common moral values of society”.
Izmir: Trans women detained
Detention orders were issued for 24 people in Izmir. The prosecutor’s office accused the individuals of “obscenity” and “encouraging, facilitating or providing premises for prostitution” based on their social media posts. Trans women, LGBTI+ people and dancer Zenne Arif were among those detained.
Mersin: Operations against Muamma and 7 Renk
Proceedings were initiated against Muamma LGBTI+ Association and Mersin 7 Renk LGBTI+ Solidarity Association in Mersin. Organization executives and LGBTI+ activists were detained. Detentions were also carried out in the city as part of the same wave of operations on the grounds of a “prostitution” investigation.
Kuşadası: Six people detained
Six people, including LGBTI+ activists, were detained in an operation in Kuşadası. The investigation was conducted on the basis of accusations of “obscenity” and “prostitution”.
SEPTEMBER 14
Ministry of Justice issues “public morality” circular to all 81 provinces
As the operations continued, the Ministry of Justice sent a circular titled “Protecting Families, Young People and Society from Content and Formations that Violate and Negatively Affect Public Morality” to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices of 175 high criminal courts in all 81 provinces.
The circular instructed prosecutors to investigate activities that allegedly “encourage children and young people to become degendered”. It also instructed them to rapidly collect digital evidence, impose access restrictions on content deemed necessary and conduct financial investigations where there was suspicion of an organized structure.
16 people imprisoned in Izmir
Of the 18 people detained in Izmir, 16 were imprisoned, while two were released under judicial control. Trans women, LGBTI+ people and dancer Zenne Arif were among those imprisoned.
Lawyers stated that the detainees’ phone passwords had been obtained without a court order and that images found on the phones had been added to the investigation file.
Five people imprisoned in Kuşadası
Five of the six people detained in Kuşadası were imprisoned on charges of “obscenity” and “prostitution.” LGBTI+ activist Hikmet Hazer was among those imprisoned.
Two people detained at protest in Izmir
Izmir Labor and Democracy Forces gathered to protest the “My Family is Safe” operation targeting LGBTI+ people. During the protest, organized under the slogan “LGBTI+ existence and rights advocacy are not crimes,” police surrounded the protesters. Two people were detained in the police attack.
SEPTEMBER 15
Police attack protest against operation in Istanbul
Feminists, LGBTI+ people, trade unionists and people from socialist organizations gathered outside the Çağlayan Courthouse to protest the operations, saying, “None of us are safe.” Police did not allow the press statement to be read and surrounded the protesters. Hundreds of people, including journalists, were detained under torture during the police attack.
Those detained included Av. Gülyeter Aktepe, a member of the Executive Board of the Istanbul Bar Association’s Women’s Rights Center, as well as members of the Center. The Istanbul Bar Association later condemned the police attack, stating, “Being LGBTI+ and defending LGBTI+ rights are not crimes.”
Police attack protest at Sakarya Square in Ankara
People gathered at Sakarya Square in Ankara on the same day to protest the operations. Police attempted to disperse people who were already in the area before the protest began and detained numerous people. Police also attempted to prevent journalists from recording the attack.
Five trans women imprisoned in Ankara
Five trans women detained as part of the investigation in Ankara were imprisoned. Trans activists Janset Kalan and Umut Derin, who are members of Kaos GL’s executive and supervisory boards, LGBTI+ mother Nedime Erdoğan from GALADER, Supervisory Board member Selin Berghan, and journalist Tuğba Tekerek were referred to the court after giving their statements to the prosecutor, with a request for their imprisonment.
Kaos GL members held in handcuffs at courthouse
Members of Kaos GL’s executive and supervisory boards who were in detention were brought to the courthouse to give statements to the prosecutor. Kaos GL members were kept in handcuffs at the courthouse, and police officers filmed them while they were handcuffed.
During police questioning, numerous questions were asked about everything from news reports on Kaos GL’s website to its social media posts. A scene from the Marvel series “Agatha All Along,” an image featuring two male football players, a report about the elections in Georgia and the Shibari Turkey account were also raised during the questioning.
In the referral grounds, the prosecutor’s office claimed that some posts were of a nature that would “violate the understanding of public morality” and “offend society’s sense of honor and decency.” It also argued that some images used illustrative drawings of children and that they “encouraged children to become interested in homosexuality.”
Seven full members of Kaos GL imprisoned
Following questioning by the court, seven full members of Kaos GL’s executive and supervisory boards and journalist Tuğba Tekerek were imprisoned. Seven substitute members of the executive and supervisory boards were released under judicial control and a travel ban.
Among those imprisoned are trans activists Umut Derin and Janset Kalan, LGBTI+ mother Nedime Erdoğan from GALADER, and Kaos GL Supervisory Board member Selin Berghan.
27 people imprisoned in Mersin
Of the 33 people detained in Mersin and referred to the court with a request for imprisonment, 27 were imprisoned.
Two people from Muamma LGBTI+ Association, one of whom is a lawyer, and three people from Mersin 7 Renk LGBTI+ Solidarity Association were imprisoned. Two people from 7 Renk were released under judicial control.
SEPTEMBER 16
20 people imprisoned in Istanbul
All 20 people referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace in Istanbul with a request for imprisonment as part of the investigation were imprisoned.
At least nine people from LGBTI+ organizations are among those imprisoned. Members of Hevi LGBTI+, Pozitif-iz, SPoD and Lambdaistanbul are among those imprisoned.
In the referral grounds, the prosecutor’s office cited the “best interests of children,” “protection of the family institution,” “the Turkish family structure” and “public morality.” It alleged that LGBTI+ organizations “weaken the nature of the Turkish family structure” and collect funding and organize events with the aim of “encouraging, promoting and spreading” being LGBTI+.
A total of 82 people imprisoned in the operations
As of September 17, 116 people have been detained and 82 people have been imprisoned as part of the operations. Of those detained, 44 are LGBTI+ rights defenders. Among those imprisoned are 25 LGBTI+ activists or people affiliated with LGBTI+ organizations, including founders and members of the governing bodies of organizations.
A significant portion of those imprisoned are trans women facing charges linked to “prostitution.” While authorities have justified the operations on the grounds of “obscenity,” “prostitution,” the protection of children and “public morality,” human rights organizations and rights defenders continue to respond to the operations, stating that LGBTI+ rights advocacy is being criminalized through criminal law.
KEY RESPONSES
Özgür Özel, Chair of the YENİ Party: These operations may want to ignore a reality, but that does not eliminate the reality; it only makes it disappear from view. And wherever it disappears from view, all kinds of injustice, unlawfulness and unhealthy situations emerge. For example, simultaneous operations are being carried out in 18 provinces. Normally, a prosecutor coordinates these operations and they are carried out simultaneously. Here, the decision lies with the prosecutor’s office that suspects a crime has been committed. But the Ministry of Justice cannot decide that this operation should be carried out. If it does, the Justice Minister, who is part of the executive branch, will have exercised judicial authority, which is independent. The Justice Minister cannot send instructions to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices in all 81 provinces regarding the exercise of judicial authority in connection with these operations.
Tülay Hatimoğulları, Co-Chair of the DEM Party: If, by saying "my family is safe", you put an LGBTI+ child of a family in the crosshairs, whom are you protecting from whom? As we said in the joint statement by women’s organizations: "Neither the family is safe nor are any of us"… LGBTI+ people are part of this society and of life. Treating them as a threat, making them targets of hate crimes, and trying to criminalize their organizing through detentions and imprisonment is undemocratic and unacceptable. What must be protected is the lives, rights and freedoms of all citizens. Everyone who has been detained or imprisoned should be released immediately. The pressure on LGBTI+ organizations and rights defenders must end!
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Andrea Bolaños Vargas: I am deeply concerned by reports of mass raids and detentions targeting LGBTI+ human rights defenders across Türkiye, as well as searches of LGBTI+ organizations and the seizure of digital equipment. I call on the authorities to ensure the immediate release of everyone detained solely for legitimate human rights work and to guarantee that LGBTI+ rights defenders and organizations can exercise their rights without facing criminalization, intimidation or reprisals.
European Parliament Türkiye Rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor: The large-scale detentions and raids targeting LGBTI+ activists last night are a shocking development that shows how serious the climate of repression in Türkiye has become. Imposing a particular understanding of morality on society is an explicit violation of fundamental rights and Türkiye’s international obligations. This approach is taking the country down an extremely dark path.
PACE General Rapporteur on LGBTI+ rights Kate Osborne: The use of so-called “protection of family values” as a justification for repression was explicitly rejected by the European Court of Human Rights in a 2017 judgment. These actions constitute an attack on fundamental rights and an attempt to silence civil society. As PACE General Rapporteur, I will continue to monitor the situation and call for urgent action to end repression against LGBTI+ people in Türkiye. I call on the Turkish authorities to immediately release everyone detained for defending the rights of LGBTI+ people and to end further attacks on the civil and political rights of these human rights defenders and activists.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty: I call on the Turkish authorities to release everyone detained for carrying out human rights or civil society work; to ensure procedural safeguards, including effective access to legal assistance, judicial review and protection against ill-treatment; and to ensure that restrictions and criminal proceedings comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and the presumption of innocence.
European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand: The Commission is concerned about the recent detentions and legal proceedings initiated against LGBTI+ activists, human rights organizations and businesses. Stigmatization and discrimination are contrary to the values of the Union.
HOW DID THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS COVER THE “MY FAMILY IS SAFE” OPERATIONS?
The “My Family is Safe” operations have also received extensive coverage in the international press. CNN, France 24, Reuters, Associated Press (AP), DW and The Guardian, among other international media outlets, reported on the simultaneous raids targeting LGBTI+ organizations, detentions and imprisonments, digital access restrictions and police attacks on protests organized against the operations.
Reuters reported on the operations as a nationwide, wide-ranging investigation targeting LGBTI+ organizations.
AP reported the developments as a wave of simultaneous operations targeting organizations working on LGBTI+ and HIV issues. AP covered the nighttime raids on homes and organizations, the blocking of organizations’ websites and the detentions, and later published a separate report on the police intervention against the protest outside the Çağlayan Courthouse.
DW covered the operations in connection with the government’s policies of “protecting the family.”
The Guardian described the operations as a nationwide wave of repression targeting LGBTI+ activists and journalists. The newspaper covered the simultaneous raids and detentions alongside the police attack on protests and the resulting detentions.
CNN also brought the operations to the attention of the international public. During a broadcast featuring Kaos GL Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar, the investigation against Kaos GL and the news reports and social media content cited as grounds for the imprisonments were discussed.
Tags: human rights, women, media, arts and culture, life, family, health, lgbti
