Turkish authorities detain at least 150 at protest over LGBTQ+ arrests

ISTANBUL, Sept 15 - Turkish authorities detained at least 150 people on Tuesday after police intervened at a gathering outside Istanbul's Caglayan courthouse, where demonstrators had planned to protest about recent detentions targeting LGBTQ+ groups, witnesses said.

The detentions marked the latest escalation in what rights groups and opposition figures have described as a widening campaign against the LGBTQ+ community, with authorities over the past week raiding association offices, blocking websites and jailing suspects across multiple provinces.

On Tuesday, a group had gathered to make a press statement, but police prevented them from doing so outside the courthouse.

Protesters chanted "Long live life in defiance of hate" as police moved in.

The protest came after sweeping raids targeting LGBTQ+ associations in several Turkish provinces under an operation dubbed "My Family is Safe", which the government says is aimed at protecting children and family values.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty said on Tuesday he was concerned by the arrests, raids and online restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ civil society and human rights defenders.

He said references to "family values" or the "protection of children" could not in themselves justify human rights restrictions, and called for the release of anyone detained for human rights or civil society work.

A Turkish court on Monday jailed 16 people pending trial in the western province of Izmir as part of the operation, the local prosecutor's office said.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on Sunday the investigations, coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin, involved 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.

Authorities detained at least 26 people in Istanbul and 21 in Ankara over the weekend and raided the offices of several LGBTQ+ associations.

Turkish authorities have also blocked access to websites and social media accounts belonging to various LGBTQ+ associations, individuals and independent media outlets, including the X account of Amnesty International's Turkey branch. REUTERS