Government must condemn raids on LGBTQ+ groups in Türkiye – Bacik
Government must condemn raids on LGBTQ+ groups in Türkiye – Bacik - The Labour Party
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD has called on the Irish Government to condemn the Turkish authorities’ crackdown on LGBTQ+ people following a protest, organised by Labour LGBTQ+, outside the Embassy of Türkiye in Dublin today. The protest follows raids on LGBTQ+ venues, organisations and private homes, as well as the detention of people protesting the raids.
Deputy Bacik said:
“People in Türkiye have watched in horror as police have entered LGBTQ+ spaces and the homes of activists. These raids are frightening for those directly affected, and they send a warning to every LGBTQ+ person who wants to live openly. Ireland must speak out clearly against them.
“President Erdoğan’s government has spent years restricting LGBTQ+ people’s ability to gather and organise. Istanbul Pride has faced bans since 2015, and Türkiye withdrew from the Istanbul Convention in 2021. The latest raids deepen an already grave threat to people’s freedom and safety.
“Today, we stood outside the Turkish Embassy. People have protested at Turkish embassies across Europe and beyond to express solidarity with those impacted. Our message from Dublin is that LGBTQ+ people in Türkiye have the right to live without fear, to organise and to protest peacefully. The Irish Government must condemn these raids.”