Turkey Moves to Shut Down Istanbul's SPoD — Four Activists Face Prison on 18 November

Turkish prosecutors have asked a court to dissolve SPoD, one of Istanbul's most prominent LGBTQ+ rights associations, with four of its members facing potential prison sentences of between one and three years.

The indictment is dated 2 November and was filed by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. It has been accepted by the Istanbul 27th Criminal Court of First Instance, and the first hearing is scheduled for 18 November at the Istanbul Courthouse.

What prosecutors are alleging

SPoD — the Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association — says prosecutors argue it operated outside the objectives set out in its bylaws and that its activities were contrary to law and morality.

According to a statement from SPoD cited by Kaos GL and reported by Turkish Minute, the indictment points to 15 years of the group's LGBTQ+ rights advocacy — activity reports, events and solidarity initiatives — as the basis for seeking its dissolution. Prosecutors reportedly framed its work to widen equal employment opportunities as an effort to create “division within the state”.

“Yes, we did all of these things. And we would do them all again!” — SPoD

A wider crackdown, not a single case

This is at least the third LGBTQ+ rights group targeted for dissolution in less than two months. In September, proceedings were opened against Muamma LGBTİ+ and Mersin 7 Renk LGBTİ+ in Mersin as part of an operation named “My Family Is Safe”.

Two of the four defendants in the SPoD case have been held in pretrial detention since 16 September, following nationwide raids in which dozens of people were detained. The pattern matters: each case narrows the space left for legal, above-ground organising.

Why the 18 November hearing matters

SPoD was founded in 2011 and provides legal and psychosocial support alongside campaigns against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Dissolving it would remove infrastructure that other groups rely on, not just a single office.

The association has warned that the request threatens freedom of association well beyond SPoD itself, arguing that “organizing is not a crime; it is a right” and that defending LGBTI+ rights, showing solidarity and coming together are not crimes.

It has called on rights organisations, unions, professional associations and journalists to attend the hearing on 18 November. For queer people across Europe, that courtroom is the closest thing to a test case for how far Turkey's crackdown will go.

Community is the thing they cannot dissolve. Create your free Vibra profile, find LGBTQ+ parties and events in Amsterdam, get tickets in a few taps and collect Pulse points for every night you show up.

Sources: PinkNews, “Turkish prosecutors seek to dissolve İstanbul LGBTQ+ with group members facing prison”, 12 November 2026; Turkish Minute, “Turkey targets third LGBTQ rights group for dissolution in less than 2 months”, 11 November 2026.