European Commission warns Turkey after at least 63 people were arrested in raids targeting the LGBTQ+ community

The European Commission announced that it is monitoring with “concern” the human rights situation in Turkey, following the raids carried out over the weekend at several LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations in the country. At least 63 people were arrested, most of them activists for the rights of sexual minorities and feminists.

Christian Wigand, spokesperson for the European Commission, said that Turkey, as a candidate country for joining the European Union and a long-standing member of the Council of Europe, must respect and guarantee the human rights and dignity of all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

The raids were coordinated by prosecutors in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir, as part of the government operation “My Family Is Safe.” The action is part of the broader “Decade of Family and Population” program, through which the authorities aim to increase the birth rate and slow population aging.

The Commission also condemned the blocking of certain websites and social media accounts, as well as pressure on the funding of nongovernmental organizations. Same-sex relations are not illegal in Turkey, but the LGBTQ+ community faces homophobia and hostile political rhetoric, promoted including by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.