Several rights groups have denounced the Turkish government’s systematic deactivation of X accounts associated with LGBTQIA+ and feminism movement as “infringement of free speech,” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blaming the move for what he described as deteriorating adherence to traditional family values in the country.
Ankara has recently blocked access to more than 40 X accounts run by either the queer community or women’s groups, including the prominent Kaos GL, one of the oldest organisations advocating for gender equality in the West Asian nation.
The shutdowns were initially carried out in phases following a chaotic Pride March on June 22, 2025, where dozens of activists and members of the LGBTQIA+ community were arrested.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Engelliweb, which tracks access restrictions in Turkey, said the closure of numerous X accounts advocating for gender equality were carried out under the pretext of protecting “national security and public order.”
It said such measures from the government constitutes “an extremely serious and disproportionate infringement of free speech,” as quoted by The New Arab newspaper.
An alliance of 22 civil society organisations, including the Turkish chapter of Amnesty International, also laid out their objections to the said crackdown.
“These access restrictions constitute an unacceptable practice that hinders the exercise of LGBT+ people’s rights at a time when information and calls to take part in Pride Month events and marches are intensifying,” the groups said in a separate statement.
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‘Counter to Human Nature’
While homosexuality and feminism is not constitutionally illegal in Turkey, homophobia and conservative ideology remain prevalent within its society – reflected through how state officials often target related activities held either in streets or online.
President Erdogan, for one, has repeatedly attacked the LGBTQIA+ community, accusing them of perversion and ruining family values.
“The institutions that bind society together and safeguard its future, particularly the family, are being targeted by certain quarters,” Erdogan said on Saturday, as quoted by The New Arab.
“These same groups are attempting to instill in young people deviant behaviours that run counter to human nature, such as those associated with LGBT people.”
The head of state has also blamed the community for the declining birth rate in Turkey, saying in a previous public address that “the primary goal of the gender neutralisation policies, in which LGBT is used as a battering ram, is the family and the sanctity of the family institution.”
The Turkish government warned in 2025 that the country is facing a sharp decline in fertility and school-age children, noting that “50 per cent of families have no children.”
In the same year, Erdogan’s administration launched the contentious “Year of the Family” programme, aimed at promoting marriage and encouraging women to have at least three children to stabilise the population.
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Newsjustnews writers 
James Mario Ajero 
Jheruleene Anne Ramos