Turkish police arrest dozens in raids on gay bars and LGBTQ+ activists' homes

At least 47 people have been detained after dawn raids across Turkey targeting LGBTQ+ organisations as part of a government campaign to "protect family values."

Turkish authorities have detained at least 47 people following weekend raids on LGBTQ+ organisations, gay bars and activists' homes, as part of a government crackdown the state calls "My Family is Safe."

Police seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm during operations across 12 provinces, according to Istanbul's chief prosecutor's office.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal proceedings had been launched against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces, on allegations including prostitution and obscenity.

A further 21 people were detained in a separate investigation into Kaos GL, an Ankara-based LGBTQ+ association. The group said at least 50 activists had been detained, including more than 10 taken in raids on their homes.

Kaos GL, founded in 1994, is one of the oldest and largest organisations for LGBTQ+ rights in Turkey. The association said authorities had blocked access to dozens of websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ organisations and activists.

In Istanbul, police raided a gay bar and a nightclub regarded as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, according to footage released by pro-government media.

Prosecutors claimed there was evidence that children were being "inappropriately influenced" on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.

The crackdown comes as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promotes a "Decade of Family and Population" initiative designed to tackle falling birth rates.

The Turkish Human Rights Association said "this is not a judicial investigation; it is a political operation" aimed at forcing society into a single family model.

Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur, called the arrests "a shocking escalation" of repression.

Rights groups have accused the Turkish government of increasingly targeting the LGBTQ+ community through hardening rhetoric and restrictions. Same-sex relations are not illegal in Turkey, but the annual Pride march in Istanbul has been banned since 2015.