The Fare network condemns the prosecution of LGBTIQ+ organisations in Turkey, following coordinated police raids that led to the detention of dozens of people.

In the early hours of Sunday, 13 September, Turkish police carried out simultaneous raids in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin. Association offices were broken into, popular community venues were raided, and the websites of several organisations were blocked. Current and former members of prominent LGBTIQ+ rights and HIV awareness groups were among those targeted.

Among those affected are associations that use football as a means of exchange and LGBTIQ+ community involvement. Fare has collaborated with them for many years. These groups are non-political and have been doing vital work in supporting LGBTIQ+ individuals through sport and community.

The Human Rights Association in Turkey also condemned the raids, calling them "a political operation" rather than a genuine judicial investigation. It warned that the unrelated charges attached to the case, including drugs and prostitution, serve to criminalise the entire LGBTIQ+ community.

The raids mark an escalation of more than a decade of hostility towards LGBTIQ+ people in Turkey. Istanbul Pride has been banned since 2015, and attempted Pride gatherings have since been forcibly dispersed by police.

Fare expresses its solidarity with all those affected by these repressive actions. Protection of minorities, the right to freedom of association, a life of active citizenship and participation in community are fundamentals of any society.

We call upon the Turkish government to release all of those wrongfully arrested and to protect the rights and freedoms of all LGBTIQ+ people.

No one should be persecuted simply for being themselves.