Turkey intensifies LGBTQ+ crackdown with arrests and detentions

Turkish authorities have intensified a nationwide crackdown on LGBTQ+ groups, arresting dozens of people and detaining over 150 protesters in a campaign the government says is aimed at protecting family values. The operation, dubbed "My Family Is Safe," has targeted activists, associations, and businesses across multiple provinces, drawing international condemnation. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that judicial proceedings have been initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations, and 13 businesses. The investigations, coordinated by prosecutors in five provinces, span 15 provinces across the country. Authorities reported seizing drugs, digital equipment, and other items during the raids. On Tuesday, police detained at least 126 protesters in Ankara and Istanbul who had gathered to demand the release of those arrested in earlier raids. Demonstrators outside Istanbul's Çağlayan courthouse chanted slogans before police intervened and took them away in buses. Two journalists, one from the BirGün daily and another from Germany's ARD television, were among those detained while covering the protest.