Türkiye: LGBT Rights Crackdown Strikes at Rule of Law

Click to expand Image Demonstrators assemble on September 15, 2026, outside the Istanbul courthouse to protest the arrests of LGBT activists and raids on LGBT rights associations in cities across Türkiye. More than 100 demonstrators were also arrested and detained for more than 24 hours. © 2026 Güliz Sağlam (Istanbul, September 18, 2026) – The Turkish government’s major crackdown on groups and activists defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people threatens the r