Since 12 September, LGBTQ people, organisations and activists in Türkiye have faced a co-ordinated wave of detentions, arrests, digital restrictions and public targeting as part of an organised operation by authorities. This crackdown represents the first mass criminalisation of LGBTQI+ people, activists and associations as part of the government's anti-LGBTQI agenda and a new round of operations is expected imminently. At least 117 people have been detained in connection with the operation, of whom 44 are LGBTQI human rights defenders. At least 83 individuals have been arrested pending pretrial detention while 25 LGBTQI people who are closely connected to associations have been arrested, including founders and members of associations whose houses have been raided and digital equipment seized. The targeted associations include seven LGBTQI human rights organisations and organisations working with people with HIV. The fear is that the government is trying to collapse these organisations. Social media accounts of LGBTQ organisations and activists and social media accounts belonging to journalists and human rights organisations expressing solidarity with communities or sharing information about the operation have been restricted, with a total of 419 social media accounts blocked across Türkiye since the operation on 12 September. Meanwhile the right to freedom of assembly of those protesting this harassment has been unjustly restricted, with 125 protesters detained in total across Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Lawyers and journalists who were gathering in front of the courthouse in Istanbul to protest this crackdown were detained. Access to medicine, clean clothes, hygiene products and even drinking water has been restricted in some of the prisons. The investigations have also been marked by procedural violations and discrepancies that demonstrate the political motivations underlying this operation. Activists have been repeatedly questioned about the ordinary functioning of their organisations, including their organisations' structure, membership, hiring and funding, in particular international funding.

LGBT activists have called for a global day of action. On Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., over 20 Irish LGBT organisations will gather outside Europe House to call for urgent action in response to the reported crackdown on LGBTQI civil society in Türkiye. LGBT activists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations are facing detention, prosecution and repression. Nobody should be oppressed or discriminated against because of their sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing in Türkiye right now comes at a time of deepening concerning backsliding on LGBTQ rights globally, including in the US under President Trump. When there is an erosion of fundamental rights, it is usually the LGBT community that is targeted first. This cannot be accepted as normal and we must call it out whenever we see it. The asks from the organisations are simple. They are the protection and humane treatment of LGBTQI people and human rights defenders in detention, the release of people detained solely in connection with legitimate human rights activities and the exercise of fundamental freedoms, and an end to the targeting of LGBTQ organisations and independent civil society. They want continued international solidarity, diplomatic pressure and support for LGBT human rights organisations and civic society space in Türkiye. We have a duty to stand up for human rights in every corner of the world.

The Government must now engage with the Turkish ambassador to Ireland and outline its serious concerns over her country’s despicable attacks on LGBTQ activists and journalists. The Government must urgently use all available diplomatic channels, including bilateral and multilateral engagement mechanisms, to raise these concerns directly with the Turkish authorities regarding the ongoing operation, and the detention of and restrictions against these human rights defenders. We must move beyond expressions of general concern and clearly communicate that the detention and prosecution of human rights defenders because of their legitimate activities, as well as the targeting of communities, is a violation, that this discrimination is unacceptable, and that it will be taken into account as part of political, economic and diplomatic relations with Turkey.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Recent actions against LGBTQI+ organisations and persons in Türkiye are deeply concerning. As he outlined, reports indicate that, since 12 September, the Turkish authorities have launched a co-ordinated operation targeting LGBTQI+ organisations, activists and associated businesses. The operation, called “My Family is Safe” by the Turkish Minister for Justice, is reported to have moved from the police operation phase into formal judicial proceedings. While the investigations are officially framed around obscenity, prostitution and public morality offences, concerns have been raised about the possible use of organised crime provisions against legally registered civil society organisations.

Like the Deputy, the Government is particularly concerned by reports of widespread detentions, raids on homes and LGBTQI+ organisations, the blocking of websites and social media accounts and the seizure of digital equipment. We also note the worrying allegations of an apparent media campaign portraying funding of civil society organisations by European and other donors as being linked to alleged illegal activities.

Ireland fully supported the statement of 18 September by the European External Action Service expressing concern about the arrests and legal proceedings in Türkiye. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, decided last Tuesday that, in our national capacity, Ireland, along with some EU member states and like-minded countries, would deliver a démarche, which is a formal diplomatic proceeding, expressing deep concern to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Türkiye. On 23 September, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Ireland also aligned with a statement of the LGBTI Group of Friends, of which we are a member, regarding these very disturbing developments. Just last week, I addressed championing diversity and support for LGBTQI+ communities at the United Nations General Assembly, where I once again raised the Irish Government’s deep concerns and condemnation of activities in Turkey.

As noted in the statement by the LGBTI Group of Friends statement delivered at the Council of Europe:

The ‘My Family is Safe’ campaign announced by the Minister of Justice in Türkiye is particularly troubling when viewed against the broader deterioration not only for the situation of LGBTQI+ persons, but also more generally concerning the increasing pressure on civil society in Türkiye. The European Convention on Human Rights protects the rights of freedom of expression, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly.

The promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTQI+ persons is a domestic and foreign policy priority for Ireland, and this is reflected in our current campaign for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term, where defending the rights of LGBTQI+ persons is one of our five thematic priorities. As an EU candidate country and member of the Council of Europe, Türkiye is expected to uphold the highest democratic standards and to ensure the respect of fundamental rights for all. The European Commission, supported by Ireland, has underlined on numerous occasions that the protection of fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ people in Türkiye remains a major concern.

The rights of peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of expression, including for LGBTQI+ persons, need to be fully respected. I was unaware of the protest tomorrow evening, but I offer my full and unequivocal support to the Deputy and the 20-plus organisations that will meet tomorrow evening outside Europe House. It is very timely. I note the four general calls that the protesters are making, and I stand in full support of that. We will continue our call on the authorities of Türkiye to ensure that all proceedings against LGBTQI+ organisations, activists and human rights defenders fully respect the rule of law and the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government retains a very active watching brief and will move further should we be required to do so.

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the Government’s response, which is comprehensive. I welcome the Government commitment to keep a watching brief on this, because it is an evolving situation. It is a very serious crackdown on human rights organisations, lawyers and journalists in Türkiye. What we are seeing is deeply concerning. As I said, it is part of a rollback on rights that we are seeing right around the world. That is why it is all the more important to continue to advocate and defend LGBTQ human rights here at home, and to see advancements in terms of the national strategies. We need to continue to be a beacon for LGBT rights around the world. I thank the Minister of State for his engagement on this. I ask him to continue to engage with the Turkish ambassador here.

In the time left, I want to put on the record letters from some of the activists who are currently in prison, which have been published by ILGA-Europe. Selin Berghan, who is involved on the board of one of the organisations that was attacked, said:

I am experiencing this process as part of the struggle for sexual freedom. I know that this will be neither the first nor the last price I pay for this struggle. Like the others, I wear this price as a badge of honor. I'm sending my gullüm (queer joy) to all my friends I struggle alongside.

Another trans woman, Janset Kalan, has also been arrested for being a board member of an organisation. She said:

I would like to direct my letter to the trans community around the world. This is not only because I'm firstly a member of such a distinct and marvellous community but also because I hope to bring further attention to the T in the community. Thank you for all your support, solidarity and [for supporting us around the world.]

Nedime Erdoğan is a mother to an LGBT child who has been sentenced to prison. She has fought for years to enhance rights for LGBT people. She said:

For years, while fighting against the bullying and injustices faced by LGBTI+ people across all areas of public life, from education to healthcare, I have also worked to involve families in this struggle. I have tried to explain the importance of families understanding their children, supporting them and standing by their side. No operation can change the meaning of the struggle I have waged as a woman, a citizen and a mother.

These are just some of the people who are currently in prison, whose cases we want to highlight. I thank the Minister of State for maintaining a watching brief on this.

To make it abundantly clear, every person, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic, is entitled to equality, dignity and the full enjoyment of their human rights. Being LGBTQI+, forming an association and defending rights are not crimes and should never be crimes. Ireland remains in full solidarity with LGBTQI+ persons and their allies globally, particularly in Türkiye right now.

Over the past 18 months of my work in this current role, I have had the distinct displeasure of having to directly confront Ministers from countries such as Uganda and Liberia, which have initiated and maintained blatant discriminatory legislation that is absolutely abhorrent. Unfortunately, as the Deputy rightly said at the outset, this is part of a wider trend. We in Ireland have a very dark history in terms of equality, and we have to admit to that. We celebrate ten years of marriage equality this year, which is great, but we also have to recognise that we are less than 30 years on from the decriminalisation of homosexuality. What came before that in a very dark, troubling period for all of us.

That is why Ireland’s commitment in this regard is underlined by our co-ordinated alignment last week with actions affirming our concern both in Ankara and at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. We will continue to monitor developments and raise our concerns with relevant interlocutors from Türkiye and EU member states and at other multilateral fora. As I mentioned, I raised this at the United Nations last week. We are running for a seat on the Human Rights Council. We will be elected to that in January, and we will make sure that two-year term will be defined by standing up for the rights not just of minorities more generally, but of our brothers, our sisters and our friends in the LGBTQI+ community who are, worryingly, seeing backsliding globally that simply cannot be allowed to happen in Türkiye or anywhere else.