Authorities in Turkey close the office of Lambda Istanbul, described by the group as an effort to “isolate” LGBTQ+ people and limit their ability to organise. The Istanbul Governor’s Office sealed the association’s premises and said the closure relates to allegations of operating as an “unauthorised social club.” Lambda Istanbul, founded in 1993, says its activities have been conducted openly and in line with official records.
Separate reporting from other outlets says prosecutors are also seeking the dissolution of an Istanbul LGBTQ+ organisation through a court process. One outlet reports that an Istanbul court accepts an indictment for closure, with defendants facing prison and held in pretrial detention since September. Another outlet reports that prosecutors target a third LGBTQ rights association for dissolution within less than two months, describing the moves as part of a wider nationwide crackdown on LGBTQ organisations and activists.
While the outlets agree the actions target multiple LGBTQ+ groups in Istanbul and follow an intensified crackdown, they vary in emphasis on the sealed office versus court-accepted dissolution cases, and on whether they foreground pretrial detention, prison exposure, or the number of groups targeted over the period.
