More social media accounts blocked after Turkey LGBTQ raids

While same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, homophobia remains widespread.(AFP) — Several X and Instagram accounts belonging to rights and media groups were blocked in Turkey following a request from authorities after sweeping raids on LGBTQ groups and gay bars, a watchdog said Monday.Turkish police Sunday detained dozens across the country in a campaign authorities said was aimed at promoting traditional family values.Turkey’s LGBTQ community has been frequently targeted by authorities, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan branding it a “deviant movement” of “perverts.”Accounts on X and Instagram belonging to the Evrensel newspaper, Amnesty International Turkey, Academics for Peace and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) were among those blocked Monday, according to the İFÖD media watchdog.X blocked the accounts of more than a dozen Turkish LGBTQ organizations and rights groups over the weekend, İFÖD said.Those affected included the Kaos GL rights group and lawyer Levent Pişkin, it added.Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said Sunday the raids were part of the “Decade of the Family” initiative proclaimed by Erdoğan, which he said sought to “protect our children, the institution of the family and social order.”In a post on X on Monday, Gürlek said the government was “continuing our efforts to protect the family, our children and our youth from all forms of exploitation, obscenity, crime and harmful content.”“We will show no tolerance for any criminal organization targeting the institution of the family, the future of our youth and social order,” he wrote.According to Kaos GL, whose offices were searched and whose executives were detained, prosecutors in Ankara alleged it had published “obscene” content that was accessible to children.While same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, homophobia remains widespread.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads