Erdoğan likens LGBTI+ community to a ‘plague,’ vows to take ‘measures’ against
Turkish President Erdoğan, speaking at his party’s youth wing congress, once again targeted the LGBTI+ community, referring to them as a “plague.” He announced that the government would take measures to “protect the youth” in response.
Duvar English
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan likened LGBTI+ individuals to a “plague,” at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Youth Wing Congress held in Ankara on Jan. 27 under the slogan "Shape Turkey with Your Youth."
Referring to the recent declaration of 2025 as the "Year of the Family," Erdoğan stated, “We are introducing protective measures for our youth against the LGBT perversion spreading like a plague worldwide,” once again singling out the community as a target, according to the reporting of the LGBTI+ news portal KaosGL.
In his “Address to the Nation” speech following the Jan. 6 Cabinet meeting, President Erdoğan also targeted LGBTI+ community, stating, “The issue of LGBT is among the most serious threats to the existence of the family today.”
During the same speech, he announced that 2025 would be declared the "Year of the Family." Since then, President Erdoğan occasionally targeted LGBTI+ community in his speeches using descriptions such as “a global crusade targeting the family institution.”
Erdoğan and his ruling AKP has been increasingly attacking the already marginalized LGBTI+ community particularly in recent years, and banned nearly all events and censored contents related to LGBTI+ themes.