Turkey's oldest LGBTQ+ group has office closed as crackdown continues

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Turkey's oldest LGBTQ+ group has office closed as crackdown continues Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 11/12/2026 - 15:01 Lambda Istanbul said closure by authorities aimed to…

Authorities in Turkey have closed the office of the country's oldest LGBTQ+ organisation, claiming it is an "unauthorised social club".

The Istanbul Governor’s Office sealed the office of Lambda Istanbul LGBTI+ Solidarity Association on Wednesday, as a crackdown continues across the country targeting LGBTQ+ groups.

In a statement, Lambda Istanbul said the move was a further attempt to "isolate LGBTI+ individuals, deprive them of their living spaces, and restrict their freedom to organise".

Lambda Istanbul was founded in 1993 out of an attempt by LGBTQ+ activists to stage the city's first Pride parade. Its office was opened in 2002 and it was formally registered as an association in 2006.

Another organisation, Hevi LGBTI+, also announced on Thursday that their termination had been requested in an indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The group also said the indictment was seeking to prosecute five founding members of Hevi over violation of the law on associations.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, and social attitudes vary, but the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has increasingly targeted the LGBTQ+ community in recent years.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced earlier this year that 2026 onwards would be the "Decade of the Family" and has characterised the LGBTQ+ community as a threat to family values.

Hundreds of people and organisations have been detained and raided in recent months as part of the "My Family is Safe" operation, while hundreds of social media accounts and websites have been banned.

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