14/09/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
Sixteen people, including trans women, LGBTI+ people and dancer Zenne Arif, were arrested in İzmir, Turkey as part of the “My Family is Safe” operation targeting LGBTI+ people.
Sixteen of the 18 people detained in İzmir, Turkey as part of the “My Family is Safe” operation targeting LGBTI+ people have been arrested. Two people were placed under judicial control.
An investigation coordinated by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had resulted in detention warrants being issued for 24 people, 18 of whom were detained.
The investigation was launched on the grounds that the suspects had been “engaging in activities aimed at disturbing public peace and order” across the city and had committed the offenses of “obscenity” and “encouraging, facilitating or providing a place for prostitution” through posts on their social media accounts.
Following procedures at the police station, all 18 people were referred to the courthouse. Sixteen were arrested by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on Duty. Those arrested include trans women, LGBTI+ people, and dancer Zenne Arif. Two people were placed under judicial control. The İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had appealed the judicial control decisions.
According to information obtained from lawyers, the detainees were forced to provide their phone passcodes without a court order. Images found on the phones were also added to the investigation file.
What happened?
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that judicial proceedings had been initiated against 162 people, nine associations and 13 businesses as part of operations carried out in 15 provinces in Turkey under the name “My Family is Safe”.
During investigations coordinated by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Aydın and Mersin, board and supervisory board members of numerous LGBTI+ organizations, including Kaos GL, were detained in raids on their homes in the early hours of the morning. Searches were conducted at association offices and digital devices were seized.
During the operations, which were conducted on charges including “obscenity,” “facilitating prostitution” and “violating the Law on Associations,” access to the websites of numerous organizations, including Kaos GL, Pink Life, SPoD and May 17 as well as the social media accounts of activists, lawyers and journalists, was blocked.
As part of the investigations, simultaneous raids were also conducted on nightclubs and massage parlors in İstanbul’s Beyoğlu and Şişli districts.
Tags: human rights, women, media, arts and culture, life, family, lgbti
