Erdogan targets ‘gender neutrality’ at UN after sweeping LGBTQ+ raids across Turkey

Key Points:

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the global promotion of “gender neutrality” in his UN General Assembly speech, framing it as a threat to children and traditional family values, shortly after Turkish authorities conducted raids targeting LGBTQ+ groups and activists nationwide.
• The raids, part of the “My Family Is Safe” operation, involved arrests of over 110 people and investigations into suspected offenses like obscenity and exposing children to LGBTQ+ content, drawing criticism from human rights organizations accusing the government of suppressing LGBTQ+ rights and civil society.
• Erdogan linked these actions to Turkey’s “2026-2035 Family and Population Decade” initiative aimed at addressing the country’s declining birth rate, emphasizing protection of the traditional family unit composed of a man and a woman.
• In the same speech, Erdogan harshly criticized Israel over the Gaza conflict, labeling Gaza as “the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time” and called for increased international pressure on Israel, while also condemning the U.S. for blocking Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s travel to the UN.
• Despite same-sex relationships not being criminalized in Turkey, LGBTQ+ organizations face increasing restrictions, with Istanbul Pride banned since 2015 and ongoing crackdowns on related events and groups under Erdogan’s administration.