Turkish LGBT Organizations Issue Statement Following Mass Detentions in Ankara

Fifteen Turkish LGBT organizations published a joint statement regarding the detention of 209 people in Ankara ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7–8. Among those detained during morning raids was the editor-in-chief of Kaos GL and human rights defender Yıldız Tar.

In their statement , the organizations pointed out that in addition to Yıldız Tar, representatives of the LGBT community, women’s rights defenders, lawyers, academics, and trade union members were taken into custody. The authors of the statement considered the raids an attempt to criminalize the LGBT movement, human rights activism, and journalism under the pretext of providing security for the international summit.

According to human rights defenders, during interrogations, the detainees were asked questions not about the NATO summit, but about their public statements regarding the government’s “Year of the Family” program.

Turkish authorities stated that the detentions were carried out as part of investigations into the activities of banned organizations. A 24-hour restriction on meeting with lawyers was imposed on the detainees.

Concluding the statement, the LGBT organizations demanded the immediate release of Yıldız Tar and all other detainees, emphasizing that defending human rights and journalism are not crimes.