The Lancet HIV | Turkish Government crackdown on HIV and LGBTQ+ groups

The Lancet HIV editorial

In the early hours of Sept 13, Turkish police raided gay bars and the offices and homes of LGBTQ+ and HIV activists and advocates across Türkiye. In the preceding days, the websites of various advocacy and support groups in the country had been blocked. This is the latest in a decade-long campaign by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s antagonistic campaign against LGBTQ+ people. Not only are these actions condemnable on the basis of human rights, but in a country where incidences of HIV and AIDS have been rising, these actions will only exacerbate the growth of the epidemic.

Türkiye sits at a nexus in Eurasia, with Europe to the west, the eastern Mediterranean to the south and east, and central Asia to the north and east. The countries within the three regions have distinct HIV epidemics and very different HIV responses driven by social mores and political priorities. However, as we know all too well, infectious diseases know no borders. For the good of the Turkish population, for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Eurasian region, governments that recognise the importance of controlling HIV will need to think hard about how they can pressure the Turkish Government to reverse its attacks on organisations supporting LGBTQ+ people and people affected by HIV, or at least stem the tide of regressive attitudes that are detrimental to human rights and HIV programmes.

Read the full editorial here.