The Japan Times - Erdogan's LGBTQ crackdown 'first step of election campaign': activist

At a cafe in the capital Ankara, this 36-year-old who belongs to Kaos GL, one of Turkey's leading LGBTQ rights organisations, spoke to AFP just days after the authorities began a major crackdown on activists and community members.

The operation began last weekend with dozens of social media accounts blocked followed by overnight raids on bars, nightclubs, NGOs and the homes of LGBTQ members in what the government said was a move to protect "children and the institution of the family".

For Tar, the latest crackdown by Erdogan's Islamo-conservative government that has long demonised the LGBTQ community as a "deviant movement" of "perverts", is consistent with a certain political logic.

"We are like the laboratory of the government. They exercise their power on us first, and if they succeed, they export it to the other parts of the society," he said in an interview conducted in English.

"It was always like that... So this can be the sign of a bigger and a much more worse era... beginning," he explained, echoing long-heard concerns about the government's increasingly authoritarian bent.

- 'Tensions will increase' -

For him, it was no coincidence the next election date was announced just days later. If all legal procedures are completed, the vote will take place on April 16, 2028.

That date is a month before the formal end of Erdogan's term in office, allowing him to sidestep a constitutional requirement that would otherwise bar him from seeking another mandate.

"This operation was related to the election, it was like a start of the election campaign. And probably the tension will rise," said Tar, who is also the editor-in-chief of Kaos GL's online news site.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, who has vowed to press ahead with the campaign to protect traditional family values, appears likely to play a key role in the run-up to the vote.

"The minister of justice will be one of the vocal figures in here. He is not only the minister of justice, he also controls other ministries too. He is a super minister," Tar said.

Tar said he believed the authorities could arrest him at any moment on charges such as obscenity, aiding prostitution or even "financial ties to foreign countries", accusations that have been used against some of those detained in the operation.

Although same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, hostility towards LGBTQ people remains widespread, with homophobia evident even at the highest levels of government.

The community has experienced threats, abuse, violence and prison at the hands of a government which wants to silence it, he said.

"They are very angry that every year they are banning LGBTI marches, but we are still in the street. They detain us, they arrest us, but we are still in the streets, we are still in the parliament, we are still in other parts of society.

"They want to get rid of us, so we're not seen."

In Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, demonstrators were rounded up by police, with over 100 held in Istanbul before being released 36 hours later.

- Powerful political tool -

In a polarised society split between the government's Islamo-conservative stance and those favouring more secular and liberal traditions, issues of sexuality and gender have become powerfully politicised.

Turkey's LGBTQ community has faced increasing pressure since the government declared 2026 to be the start of its "Decade of the Family".

"The government is trying to shape society in their own vision, to make it more homophobic," he said, clearly concerned it could fuel a surge in anti-LGBTQ violence.

He also lamented what he described as a lack of support from opposition parties, noting that the main opposition New Party issued only a muted response.

Although the pro-Kurdish opposition DEM party reacted faster, it was still "not enough", he said, arguing that LGBTQ groups could largely rely only on themselves.

Despite the government accusations, activists simply wanted to live peacefully, he said.

In response to officials' claims that they had a hidden agenda, Tar said: "Our hidden agenda is to not get murdered!"

"We were born in this country, we want to have a peaceful life... to work in peace, have a home, have friends, to be respected. We want dignity. What's wrong with that?"

M.Ito--JT