The Unified European Left Group of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expresses its deep concern at the ongoing crackdown in Türkiye targeting LGBTI+ people, activists, organisations and human rights defenders.
Since 13 September, coordinated operations have been carried out across fifteen provinces in the country, under investigations coordinated by prosecutors in five provincial centres. They have resulted in numerous arrests and searches, as well as raids targeting association premises, private homes, workplaces and organisations providing support to LGBTI+ people, including people living with HIV. The authorities have also blocked access to websites and social media accounts belonging to associations, independent media outlets, student collectives and human rights organisations.
According to the Turkish authorities, judicial action has been taken concerning 162 people, nine associations and thirteen businesses. The exact scale of the arrests nevertheless remains uncertain and the situation continues to evolve.
The UEL Group is particularly concerned that this operation is being conducted under the name “Ailem Güvende” (“My Family Is Safe”). The protection of the family can under no circumstances be used as a pretext for discrimination, collective stigmatisation, the criminalisation of civil society engagement or restrictions on fundamental rights.
Targeting LGBTI+ people and organisations defending their rights constitutes a serious attack on the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
As a member State of the Council of Europe, Türkiye is bound to respect the rights and freedoms enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, including freedom of expression and association and the principle of non-discrimination. The UEL Group therefore calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately put an end to operations targeting LGBTI+ people and organisations, to guarantee the rights of those detained, including full respect for due process, and to allow civil society to carry out its activities freely and without intimidation.
We call on the institutions of the Council of Europe and all European and international stakeholders to closely monitor the situation and to take the necessary measures to ensure that fundamental rights are fully respected.
LGBTI+ rights are human rights. Equality, human dignity and fundamental freedoms cannot be made conditional on sexual orientation, gender identity or political convenience.