LGBTI+ Rights Advocates are Detained on the Anniversary of 12 September coup
LGBTI+ Rights Advocates are Detained on the Anniversary of 12 September coup
- 19/09/2026
- ÜniKuir
7 members of the board of directors and supervisory board of the Kaos GL Association and 1 journalist have been arrested.
Following a digital blackout on 12 September, seven members of the executive and supervisory boards of the Kaos GL Association — one of the founding organisations in the struggle for LGBTI+ rights in Turkey — were detained as part of a police operation, and one journalist was arrested. In addition to the raids on the homes of the association's leaders, digital materials were seized during a search of the Kaos GL Association's office.
Although the investigation was initiated basedon allegations of “obscenity” and violations of the Association Law, it ultimately encompassed the publications, social media posts, organisational structure, and institutional activities of the Kaos GL Association.
From the proclamation of the Year of the Family to the present day, the existence, organisation and visibility of LGBTI+ people in culture and the arts, and in LGBTI+ rights advocacy, have come under political, media and legal attack.
The main focus of the debates on the omnibus bill in Parliament was the 10th, 11th and 12th Judicial Reform Packages, which targeted LGBTI+ rights. The works of artists depicting LGBTI+ themes, as in the cases of Mabel Matiz and Manifest, were investigated and subject to access restrictions.
Anti-LGBTI+ regulations first emerged during the preparation for the 10th Judicial Package and were included in the 11th draft. This draft included penalties for “attitudes and behaviours contrary to one's sex and public morality”, as well as for “promoting, encouraging, disseminating or propagating” same-sex relationships. It also included measures to make gender affirmation processes more difficult for transgendered people.
These provisions, which were aimed directly at LGBTI+ individuals and were reiterated in the 12th Judicial Package in June 2026, were removed from the text after facing opposition from feminist and LGBTI+ civil society groups. On September 12, the political will to criminalise LGBTI+ existence came into action in three separate legislative packages.
On 12 September 2026 — the 46th anniversary of the 1980 military coup — the websites and social media accounts of numerous LGBTI+ organizations, media outlets, student groups, activists and advocates were blocked by order of the Istanbul 7th Criminal Court of Peace.
On September 13 — in a simultaneous operation spanning 15 provinces centered on Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Aydın, and Mersin, members of the Kaos GL Association's executive and supervisory boards, as well as their alternate members, were detained during home raids. LGBTI+ associations operating in Mersin and Istanbul were also targeted.
On September 14 — Justice Minister Akın Gürlek sent a comprehensive letter titled “Protection of the Family, Youth, and Society from Content and Phenomena That Violate Public Morals and Have a Negative Impact” to the 175 ChiefPublic Prosecutors’ Offices for Serious Crimes in all 81 provinces.
On September 15 — human rights defenders were subjected to violence and some were detained during protests organised by the Labour, Democracy and Peace Forces in various cities against military operations.
With detentions and arrests ongoing in various cities across Turkey, seven members of the Kaos GL Association's Board of Directors and Supervisory Board have been arrested, along with one journalist.
