A police operation was conducted against the Kaos GL Association during the night. As a result of the operation, members of the executive and supervisory boards, along with alternate members, were detained at their homes. Dozens of websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ associations and activists were blocked.
A police operation targeting the Kaos GL Association and its members was carried out late last night. As a result of the operation, members of the supervisory and executive boards, along with alternate members, were detained.
Kaos GL reported that nearly 50 LGBTQ+ activists were detained at their homes and that police also entered the association’s office.
Operation “My Family is Safe”
On the night of September 12–13, successive operations targeting LGBTQ+ associations, LGBTQ+ activists, and certain venues were carried out across 15 provinces, including Ankara, Mersin, Kuşadası, Istanbul, and Izmir.
According to a statement posted on X by Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, judicial proceedings were initiated against 162 individuals, 9 associations, and 13 businesses across 15 provinces as part of the “My Family is Safe” (Ailem Güvende) operations, which were conducted under the coordination of the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices of Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydın, and Mersin.
“Obscenity” accusation against the association
In an investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Cybercrimes Bureau, the Kaos GL Association faced accusations of “obscenity” regarding content published on its website and social media accounts. In a decision dated September 11, 2026, the Ankara 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace noted the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s allegations that “posts containing obscenity” had been shared on Kaos GL’s website and social media accounts in a manner accessible to children; consequently, the prosecution initiated an investigation under the crime of “obscenity” as defined in Article 226 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The fact that the content in question was shared via the association’s official website and social media accounts was also cited as grounds for the investigation. Asserting that the posts were made “using the association’s official web pages and social media accounts as part of the activities of a civil society organization operating under the association’s umbrella,” the prosecution requested an assessment regarding a violation of the Law on Associations.
According to Kaos GL, the decision also authorized the seizure of any evidence, photographs, or printed materials related to the investigation. The judgeship ordered the examination of desktop and laptop computers, mobile phones, tablets, portable storage devices, CDs, DVDs, and other digital materials belonging to the activists. Authorization was also granted to seize the devices if passwords could not be cracked or digital data could not be accessed.
Simultaneous raids on LGBTI+ venues
Coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, teams from the Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate and the Provincial Gendarmerie Command conducted simultaneous operations on numerous venues in Beyoğlu and Şişli, alongside the operation targeting Kaos GL. Raids were carried out at various locations, including nightclubs and massage parlors in Taksim, Cihangir, and on Istiklal Avenue.
This operation, conducted under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, was also mentioned in the documentation regarding the police operation against the Kaos GL Association.
Access to websites and social media accounts blocked
Dozens of websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTI+ associations and activists have been blocked by a decision of the Istanbul 7th Criminal Judgeship of Peace, dated September 12, 2026, and numbered 2026/9559.
It was notable that the decisions to block access were issued on a Saturday, outside of standard business hours.
Websites blocked from access: Kaos GL Association, 17 May Association, ÜniKuir, Pembe Hayat Derneği, SPoD, Genç LGBTI+ Derneği, Lambdaistanbul, Muamma LGBTI+ Derneği, velvele.net.
Blocked X accounts: Levent Pişkin , Seyhan Arman, Zeynep Esmeray Özadikti, Yasemin Öz, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi LGBTİA+ Çalışmaları Kulübü, Cinsel Eğitim Tedavi ve Araştırma Derneği, Özgür Renkler Derneği, Queer Adana, Bilkent Üniversitesi resmi LGBTQIA+ öğrenci topluluğu, Velvele, İnter Dayanışma, Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği, İzmir LGBTİ+ Onur Haftası.
Instagram accounts blocked from access but not yet rendered invisible from within Turkey: Yıldız Tar, 17 Mayıs Derneği, Seyhan Arman, SPoD, Pembe Hayat Derneği, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi LGBTİA+ Kulübü, Hacettepe Kuir Araştırmaları, Enes Hocaoğulları, HEVİ LGBTİ+ Derneği, İÜ Radar.
Source: KaosGL Association