03/11/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
The campaign called for demonstrations to be held around the world, saying, “As they intensify the repression, we strengthen solidarity.”
The We Demand Freedom Campaign has called for international demonstrations on 12 November in response to the detentions and arrests of LGBTI+ people in Türkiye.
In its call titled “Break the Bars!”, the campaign stated that 10 trans women had been arrested in the second wave of operations targeting LGBTI+ people, while 19 LGBTI+ activists remained in prison. The campaign announced 12 November as the International Day of Action, saying: “They have imprisoned our friends. We are organising cross-border solidarity for their freedom!”
“As they intensify repression, we strengthen solidarity”
The campaign called on LGBTI+ organisations, feminist movements, organisations advocating for sex workers’ rights, trade unions and human rights defenders to take to the streets on 12 November.
The statement included the following:
“As they intensify repression, we strengthen solidarity. Crossing borders, cities and movements, we call on LGBTI+ communities, feminist movements, organisations advocating for sex workers’ rights, trade unions and human rights defenders to mobilise.”
The campaign called for demonstrations to be organised in public spaces and in front of Turkish embassies and consulates in different countries. Calling on governments and international institutions to be presented with its demands, it stated: “Wherever you are, organise an action. Make 12 November impossible to ignore.”
“Our friends must be free”
The campaign, stating that “Our Friends Must Be Free”, called for the immediate release of all LGBTI+ people and activists imprisoned as part of the operations.
The statement called for an end to raids targeting LGBTI+ people, detentions and judicial harassment, and demanded that the criminalisation of trans women, sex workers and LGBTI+ organisations be stopped.
The campaign also called on the governments of other countries to raise human rights violations in Türkiye in bilateral diplomatic relations and multilateral international mechanisms, and to make public interventions calling for the operations to end and prisoners to be released.
Tags: human rights, media, lgbti
