Turkish authorities carried out raids targeting LGBTQ+ organisations, bars, businesses, and homes across Turkey on September 13, resulting in 162 arrests. Two days later, 126 LGBTQ+ activists were detained in Istanbul and Ankara while protesting these raids.
The government has described the crackdown as part of a campaign named "My Family is Safe," which it states is intended to protect "family values and public order" from "obscenity." This initiative is also part of their "Decade of the Family" programme, which aims to address declining birth rates.
One reveller reported a police raid at Ex Bar at 1am the previous Saturday, where IDs were checked and the bar was closed. Another partygoer stated that Stay Club was raided last week, with IDs checked. Some venues have reportedly altered operations, with a darkroom at Cheeky Club closing since the raids.
The Turkish government banned Pride events in 2015 and has previously referred to gay people as "deviants." In July, ports in Turkey and Egypt blocked an LGBTQ+ cruise from docking, citing "behaviours incompatible with … our moral values."