UN Experts Urge Türkiye to End Crackdown on LGBTI Rights Defenders and Groups

The experts said people working to defend LGBTI rights should be able to organise, speak publicly and carry out advocacy without facing intimidation, arrest, stigma or criminalisation.

United Nations human rights experts have called on Türkiye to end what they describe as a serious crackdown on LGBTI human rights defenders and organisations, warning that arrests, criminal investigations, financial scrutiny and digital restrictions are interfering with legitimate human rights work and restricting freedom of expression and association.

The experts said people working to defend LGBTI rights should be able to organise, speak publicly and carry out advocacy without facing intimidation, arrest, stigma or criminalisation. Their concerns centre on the operation known as "My Family is Safe," which has reportedly led to widespread detentions, searches and investigations since 12 September 2026.

Detentions, raids and digital restrictions raise concerns

According to the experts, at least 44 human rights defenders have reportedly been detained or arrested in connection with the operation. At least 117 people were initially detained, followed by reports that another 124 people were taken into custody during protests against the operation. Türkiye's Minister of Justice has announced judicial measures involving more than 160 individuals and 20 associations and businesses.

Security forces have reportedly searched homes and organisational offices, seized computers and other digital equipment, and blocked websites and social media accounts associated with LGBTI people or organisations defending their rights. The experts called for an immediate end to the operation and said criminal law should not be used to punish people for legitimate human rights activity.

They also raised concerns about investigations referring to offences involving obscenity, morality and prostitution, together with official statements portraying LGBTI organisations as promoting immorality or threatening family values. The experts said morality-based reasoning cannot justify discriminatory restrictions and urged public officials to avoid language that portrays lawful advocacy as criminal conduct.

Financial investigations and donor privacy come under scrutiny

The experts also questioned financial investigations reportedly opened against some organisations, stressing that receiving international funding is permitted under Turkish law and should not itself be treated as evidence of wrongdoing.

They expressed concern that donor identities had reportedly been made public during some investigations, arguing that such disclosures could violate privacy and discourage people from supporting civil society organisations in the future. Access to financial and other resources, they said, forms an important part of the ability of human rights groups to operate independently and carry out their work.

The concerns come amid wider scrutiny of legal pressure on LGBTI rights organisations in Türkiye. Earlier UN communications in 2026 addressed allegations involving the dissolution of the Genç LGBTİ+ Association and judicial action against its members, as well as the reported judicial harassment of other LGBTI human rights defenders.

Experts demand safeguards for people held in detention

Conditions faced by detained LGBTI people were another major concern raised in the statement. The experts referred to allegations involving discrimination linked to HIV status and gender identity, unsanitary facilities, solitary confinement, humiliating searches, difficulties accessing healthcare and medication, and barriers to basic due-process protections.

They called for the immediate release of anyone detained solely because of legitimate human rights work. Until their release, the experts said detainees must have access to healthcare, essential medication, lawyers and effective judicial safeguards, together with full protection from torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The experts also urged authorities to stop criminal and financial investigations that lack a clear legal basis, return equipment that is not demonstrably needed for lawful investigations and work with digital platforms to remove restrictions that fail to meet human rights standards. Confidential information relating to individuals, organisations and donors should also be protected.

UN Special Procedures have raised related concerns about judicial pressure on LGBTI rights defenders in Türkiye on several occasions during 2025 and 2026, including cases involving freedom of expression, association and alleged discriminatory judicial harassment.