LGBTQ in Turkish media

Historically, many mainstream broadcasters and newspapers covered LGBTQ issues, such as CNN Türk, NTV, and Star TV. However, coverage has drastically changed and decreased over the years as the government's stance and media ownership have changed.^[9][10][11]

The Turkish mainstream media is owned by a group of conglomerates that control much of the content.^[12][13][14] However, starting in late 2009, the Turkish government intensified the taxation of these conglomerates,^[15][16] and directed fines to the broadcasters.^[17][18] which had generally been opposition-oriented. These tax measures continued until 2018, when Doğan Holding, which owned many mainstream media outlets such as CNN Türk, Kanal D, and Hürriyet, sold them to the government-aligned Demirören Group.^[19] Several other television channels also changed ownership during this period.

Today, on paper, LGBTQ issues are discussed most openly in a number of publishers, such that is Turkey's current newspaper of record, Cumhuriyet^[20][21],^{[need quotation to verify]} and similar opposition-oriented newspapers such as Sözcü and BirGün.^[22][23] Meanwhile, pro-government, liberal-oriented newspapers tend to take a more distant stance, such as Hürriyet.^{[citation needed]} More religious newspapers, such as Yeni Şafak, generally cover LGBTQ issues more negatively.^[24]

On television, mainstream media tends to maintain a distant stance. Conservative channels such as A Haber speak very negatively about LGBTQ issues, while more centrist channels such as NTV generally remain distant or focus on international LGBTQ+events rather than domestic ones. Opposition, left-leaning channels, such as Halk TV, tend to take a more positive approach.^[25]

While many mainstream media outlets are careful not to be explicitly labeled as anti-LGBTQ, they generally take a cautious approach to LGBTQ-related issues. The most negative coverage comes from more conservative, religious broadcasters^[26] such as A Haber, ATV, and the state broadcaster TRT. The state broadcaster, TRT, historically had a distant, and theoretically unbiased stance. However, as the Turkish government's stance shifted,^[27] so did TRT's, and in 2026, the broadcaster's streaming service, tabii, released an anti-LGBTQ documentary called Rainbow Fascism.^[28][29], along with growing hate speech.^[30][31]

The censorship of Turkish media mainly comes from the watchdog Radio and Television Supreme Council, which has fined broadcasters that air content the government does not like, including opposition, criticism, and LGBTQ content.^[42][43]

The council has requested the removal of much LGBTQ content and announced penalties following inspections conducted under the government's "Year of the Family" initiative.^[44]

Gabile.com is a Turkish website for the LGBT community, managed from Istanbul, which provides an online LGBT community^[49] by services such as dating, chatting and sexual advice. As of 2013, it was Turkey's largest gay dating portal and LGBT social network.^[49][50] The organization was founded in 1999. It allows profile creation on the website, online chat and gives away information and news^[49] related to LGBT events, alongside photos, personal writings made available to people with all different sexual orientations.^[49] In 2009, there were 225,000 registered^[51] users from Turkey using the website. Four different membership types or preference are available for people who utilize the service: users, contacts, clubs and escorts,^[49] The website is available in 4 different languages and covers topics related to different sexual orientations, including active gay, passive gay, AP gay, lesbian, bisexual male, bisexual female, transvestite, and transgender^[49] Many artists, including Seyhan Arman, have worked as a columnist for the website. The organization works in partnership with Shemaleturk.com, a website exclusive to gay and transgender people.^[49] On the radio channel Radyo Gabile, many celebrities including Sibel Tüzün, Yonca Evcimik, Zeynep, Aydın, and Vj Bülent, have participated as guests.^[52] Gabile is also the owner of a gay bar in Taksim Square^[53] called Club Otherway.^[54]

Ayı Sözlük ("Bear Dictionary") was an LGBTQ collaborative dictionary founded by İlker Bozkurt on 14 August 2011.^[59][60][61] The majority of the contributors are LGBTQ individuals.^[62][63][64] The purpose of establishing the dictionary is to make the voice of LGBTQ individuals heard as a part of the society, to defend LGBTQ rights,^[65] to enable them to write freely, to support young LGBTI individuals in their acceptance processes, to make them feel that they are not alone and wrong,^[66] and to fight against transphobia, homophobia,^[67][68] and hate crimes. Sözlük yazar kadrosu içinde gönüllü avukatlar hukuk danışmanlığı yaparken sözlük yazarları arasında gönüllü psikologlar da bulunmaktadır.^[69] Over time, it has become a community that organizes events and conducts charity projects. Since July 2014, they have been accepted as an LGBTQ community by ILGA.^[70][71][72]

The LGBTQ culture and life magazine Homojen, prepared by Ayı Sözlük and its founder and independent activist İlker Bozkurt, was first published on 5 September 2015. The reason for the journal's name being Homojen (homogeneous) is "to emphasize that every individual living in society has the right to live without discrimination without any reason". Homojen, which is the first culture and lifestyle magazine featuring LGBT content in Turkey, began to be published in print on 3 September 2016.^{[73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81]}

A voluntary team of doctors, psychologists, psychology counselors, education counselors, social workers, sociologists, and lawyers are among the authors of Ayı Sözlük, providing voluntary and free support to individuals who need support under the patronage of ASDİ (Ayı Sözlük LGBTQ + Psycho-Social Support Initiative).^[82][83]