Amnesty International has launched a global urgent action calling for the immediate, unconditional release of at least 23 LGBT+ rights defenders and journalist Tugba Tekerek in Türkiye. The campaign highlights concerns over arrests, alleged mistreatment in detention and a widening crackdown affecting organisations, activists and online speech.

Essential Takeaways

  • Global petition: Amnesty is asking supporters to press Ankara prosecutors to drop the charges and release those detained.
  • Who is affected: KAOS GL board members and journalist Tugba Tekerek are among those named in the campaign.
  • Wider operation: At least 117 people were reportedly detained during raids across five Turkish provinces.
  • Detention concerns: Rights groups have recorded allegations involving searches, threats and limited access to healthcare, medicine and food.
  • Online restrictions: Amnesty says at least 419 social media accounts have been blocked in Türkiye since 12 September.

Amnesty's urgent action puts Türkiye's LGBT+ crackdown under the spotlight

The campaign comes after a series of raids targeting LGBT+ people, activists, rights groups and entertainment venues in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin. Amnesty says at least 117 people were detained during the operation, including 44 LGBT+ rights defenders.

The arrests have drawn particular attention because they include people connected with KAOS GL, one of Türkiye's best-known LGBT+ rights organisations. Journalist Tugba Tekerek is also among those detained, according to Euronews and other reports.

Amnesty describes the arrests as part of an escalating assault on LGBT+ rights and civic space. It's a serious claim, but the pattern of raids, detentions and online restrictions has made the story difficult to dismiss as an isolated prosecution.

Why KAOS GL members and a journalist were detained

The campaign names KAOS GL board and supervisory board members Janset Kalan, Nedime Erdogan, Umut Derin and Selin Berghan. Amnesty says their detention is linked to their work with the organisation, while Tekerek's case is connected to alleged responsibility for its Instagram account.

The reported charges include alleged obscenity and violations of Türkiye's Associations Law. Amnesty says the obscenity allegation relates to illustrations on the KAOS GL website, which has reportedly been inaccessible from Türkiye since June 2025.

Euronews reported that eight people, including Tekerek and seven KAOS GL members, were arrested following the investigation. For supporters, the central concern is whether ordinary advocacy, journalism and organisational work are being treated as criminal conduct.

Detention conditions raise fresh human rights concerns

Amnesty says LGBT+ organisations have documented allegations of physical and verbal mistreatment, strip searches and threats during detention. The organisation also reports concerns about access to medical care, medication and adequate food.

Those allegations should be investigated independently and promptly, especially where detainees include human rights defenders and a journalist. Arrest itself doesn't settle the facts of a case, but detention conditions are a separate responsibility for the authorities.

Amnesty's urgent action calls for anyone held to be treated according to international standards until release. It also asks the authorities to investigate allegations of abuse rather than allowing them to disappear into the paperwork of a crowded legal case.

The arrests form part of a much broader campaign

The latest detentions follow protests in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, where Amnesty says 125 people were detained and later released. The organisation also says at least 419 social media accounts have been blocked since 12 September.

That combination of street arrests and digital restrictions matters because it reaches beyond the people named in the investigation. It can affect journalists, organisers, families and ordinary users who want to discuss LGBT+ rights or respond publicly to government action.

Amnesty UK described the situation as a full-scale assault on LGBT+ rights, while the organisation's wider reporting frames it as part of a growing human rights crisis. For readers following Türkiye's civil society landscape, the key issue is whether the pressure remains confined to specific cases or continues to spread.

What happens next for the detainees?

Amnesty's petition is addressed to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor and asks for the charges to be withdrawn and the detainees released immediately and unconditionally. It also calls for any mistreatment allegations to be examined effectively.

The legal process will determine how the individual cases develop, but the international campaign is already adding scrutiny. Human rights groups will be watching for access to lawyers, medical support, transparent hearings and any further arrests.

For the people involved, those details aren't abstract. They mean whether a journalist can return to work, whether an organisation can operate openly and whether LGBT+ communities can speak without fearing that advocacy itself will be used against them.

It's a small act on paper, but signing the urgent action adds a visible voice to a much bigger question about safety, equality and freedom of expression in Türkiye.

Explore the campaign and follow developments from trusted rights organisations.

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