Journalist Tuğba Tekerek, who was detained overnight from Sunday to Monday as part of the “My Family Is Safe” operations over a single news report she produced about the LGBTİ+ movement in Georgia and was subsequently taken to Ankara, is expected to give a statement to prosecutors today. Tekerek is currently at the Ankara Courthouse. MLSA is representing Tekerek.
The operations in which Tekerek was detained are being carried out as part of the “My Family Is Safe” investigations announced by Justice Minister Akın Gürlek on Sept. 13, targeting LGBTİ+ associations and venues. According to Gürlek’s statement, legal proceedings were initiated against 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses in operations centered in five provinces and spanning a total of 15 provinces. More than 60 people were detained in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, while 16 of the 18 people detained in İzmir were jailed pending trial on Monday.
As part of the investigations, numerous associations, including Kaos GL, Turkey’s first officially registered LGBTİ+ association, were raided and accused of “obscenity” and “violating the Associations Law.” Court rulings dated Sept. 12 also blocked access to the websites and social media accounts of dozens of LGBTİ+ associations and publications.
U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Andrea Bolaños Vargas called for the immediate release of everyone being held over their human rights work, while the European Commission said it was concerned about the investigations and detentions.
