Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has launched the “Year of the Family” campaign, which, under the guise of strengthening familial values, intensifies state-led attacks on the LGBTQ community. Speaking in Ankara, Erdoğan accused LGBTQ movements of undermining Turkish traditions, framing them as tools of foreign intervention. These accusations were coupled with his familiar call for a population surge through traditional family structures.
Erdoğan described LGBTQ advocacy as a threat to families, equating criticism of the community to a broader conspiracy against Turkey’s societal fabric. “It is our shared duty to protect the youth from harmful ideologies,” he said, emphasizing that gender-neutral movements endanger the sanctity of traditional family values. His remarks reiterated a troubling trend where LGBTQ people are increasingly scapegoated as political tensions rise.
Since 2015, Pride parades have been systematically banned in Turkey, and participants face harsh crackdowns, including tear gas and police brutality. Meanwhile, anti-LGBTQ rallies enjoy state sponsorship, underscoring the stark imbalance in governmental attitudes. This suppression fuels a climate of fear and exclusion, stripping Turkey’s LGBTQ community of basic rights and dignity.
Beyond social rhetoric, Erdoğan announced a set of economic incentives, including interest-free loans for newlyweds and subsidies for parents, designed to bolster birth rates. These measures, however, are steeped in exclusionary ideals that disregard the diverse realities of modern families, particularly those that do not align with heteronormative frameworks.
For Turkey’s LGBTQ population, this initiative signals an escalation of systemic erasure. By intertwining nationalistic fervor with targeted discrimination, Erdoğan’s policies undermine any prospects for equality, further isolating a marginalized community. Advocacy for LGBTQ rights in Turkey faces unprecedented challenges, as the government continues to tighten its grip on social freedoms under the pretense of tradition.