Kaos GL editor writes about witch hunts in Turkey

On February 4, 2026, KaosGL.org editor Oğulcan Özgenç wrote an article analysing recent police operations and arrests against LGBTQI+ social media influencers in Turkey. In his article, the author emphasized that these arrests were presented to the public in a “demonstrative” and “instructive” manner, and that the processes specifically targeted LGBTQI+ identities.

In recent months, the news of “drug operations” that have been frequently broadcast in the Turkish media have been based mainly on the names of individuals known on social media. According to local sources, these news items focus on familiar faces, rather than systematic criminal networks or economic ties. In this context, the targeting of LGBTQI+ influencers has intensified criticism that the state has built its “struggle” image on individual figures.

The detention and subsequent arrest of social media influencer Mika Raun last week was seen as a turning point in this process. Raun was targeted on social media for a video they shared before their detention. It was later reported that Mükremin Gezgin and Arya Bektaş, who had previously been detained on charges of “obscenity,” were also re-arrested as part of a “drug operation.” At the same time, Murat Övüç was detained on charges of “inciting public hatred and hostility,” and Kerimcan Durmaz was sentenced to prison in an illegal betting case.

The article notes that what these cases have in common is that lynching campaigns on social media and actions by law enforcement agencies go hand in hand. The detention and arrest decisions issued following targeted posts indicate that hostility towards trans and non-heteronormative identities, in particular, has taken an institutionalized form. Such cases pose a risk of normalizing transphobia and homophobia through legal processes.

In conclusion, the author states that these operations are not only aimed at individuals, but also at the visibility of the LGBTQI+ community as a whole. In an environment where presence in public space is “punished,” these incidents are assessed in the broader context of human rights and freedom of expression, and the question of who will be targeted in the future remains open.

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