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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Ruth Michaelson in Istanbul

Turkey detains dozens in crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists and journalists

Two policewomen holding the arms of a woman as they lead her away, while a group of police are seen in the background
Police detain a protester in Ankara. Rights groups say at least 150 demonstrators were held in Istanbul and dozens in Ankara in the ‘widest crackdown’ in years. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty

Turkish authorities have used accusations of obscenity to justify a wave of raids and arrests targeting the LGBTQ+ community, which has grown to include journalists as well as more than 150 arrested during protests against the raids.

Starting in the early hours of Sunday, Turkish police carried out simultaneous raids on the offices of LGBTQ+ rights organisations and HIV-advocacy groups in the cities of Istanbul, the capital, Ankara, and the coastal city of İzmir, as well as the cities of Aydın and Mersin.

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