Turkey LGBTQ crackdown condemned by UN experts

UN human rights experts condemned what they called a severe crackdown on LGBTQ organisations in Turkey and said legitimate rights work was being unduly restricted.

The experts said Tuesday that Turkey should end harassment of LGBTI human rights defenders and organisations and ensure they can exercise freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association without fear of arrest, intimidation, stigmatisation or criminalisation.

They said Turkey's justice ministry had announced judicial measures against more than 160 individuals and 20 associations and businesses.

The experts also cited the September 30 shutdown of the website and social media accounts of T24, a leading independent digital news website, as part of Turkey's "My Family is Safe" operation. They said authorities cited "LGBT propaganda".

The experts said they were concerned that investigations reportedly involved offences linked to obscenity, morality and prostitution, alongside official statements describing associations as promoting "LGBT and immorality".

They demanded an immediate end to the operation and the release of people detained solely for legitimate human rights work.

The statement was issued by independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, including special rapporteurs on human rights defenders, the independence of judges, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful association. Such experts do not speak for the United Nations itself.

Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek has said the operation was launched as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "Decade of the Family", aimed at protecting children, the family and social order.