Turkey: Erdogan intensifies crackdown on LGBT+ community

In Turkey, being homosexual is not a crime. Yet LGBT+ people face increasingly difficult lives. Erdogan's government is intensifying repression against the LGBT+ community.

Previously, repression mainly targeted Pride marches. These events were often banned or violently dispersed. Now the situation has changed. The government directly targets LGBT+ associations.

These associations are now in authorities' sights. Their leaders are monitored and harassed. Their funding is blocked or cut off. Their freedom to act is severely restricted.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leads an Islamist-conservative government. This government uses familiar pretexts to justify its actions. It speaks of protecting Turkish family values. It accuses LGBT+ groups of threatening society.

This strategy is not new. But its scale is unprecedented. Never have so many associations been targeted simultaneously. Never has pressure been this strong or organized.

Turkish LGBT+ activists resist despite everything. They continue their work under very difficult conditions. Some now operate in secret. Others have left the country for safety.

International human rights organizations are concerned. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned these actions. They urge the European Union to respond firmly. But diplomatic responses remain limited.

Turkey has been an EU membership candidate for years. Yet these fundamental rights violations pose problems. Many observers believe this candidacy should be reconsidered.

For LGBT+ people in Turkey, the situation is alarming. They face double pressure. On one hand, state repression. On the other, societal discrimination. Finding support becomes harder daily.

The international community must act. LGBT+ rights are fundamental human rights. They must be protected everywhere, including Turkey.