Method for operating a wind turbine, comprising • an operation management, which is configured to preset a desired value for an electric variable to be generated by the wind turbine; • a wind measurement device, which is configured to determine the wind direction and the wind velocity, and • a controller, to which the measured values for the wind velocity and the wind direction are supplied to, the method comprising the steps of: • one or more sectors of critical wind directions are provided in the controller, wherein in the sector or sectors of critical wind directions a turbulence intensity exceeds a maximum value for the turbulence intensity, • a characteristic value for the tower head movement and/or tower head acceleration is determined and the controller generates a control signal for the operation management, in order to reduce the desired value of the electric variable to be generated if: ∘ the measured wind direction is determined to be within a sector of critical wind directions, ∘ the determined maximum value for the turbulence intensity is exceeded, and ∘ the determined characteristic value additionally exceeds a predetermined maximum value for the characteristic value. • an operation management, which is configured to preset a desired value for an electric variable to be generated by the wind turbine; • a wind measurement device, which is configured to determine the wind direction and the wind velocity, and • a controller, to which the measured values for the wind velocity and the wind direction are supplied to, the method comprising the steps of: • one or more sectors of critical wind directions are provided in the controller, wherein in the sector or sectors of critical wind directions a turbulence intensity exceeds a maximum value for the turbulence intensity, • a characteristic value for the tower head movement and/or tower head acceleration is determined and the controller generates a control signal for the operation management, in order to reduce the desired value of the electric variable to be generated if: ∘ the measured wind direction is determined to be within a sector of critical wind directions, ∘ the determined maximum value for the turbulence intensity is exceeded, and ∘ the determined characteristic value additionally exceeds a predetermined maximum value for the characteristic value. • one or more sectors of critical wind directions are provided in the controller, wherein in the sector or sectors of critical wind directions a turbulence intensity exceeds a maximum value for the turbulence intensity, • a characteristic value for the tower head movement and/or tower head acceleration is determined and the controller generates a control signal for the operation management, in order to reduce the desired value of the electric variable to be generated if: ∘ the measured wind direction is determined to be within a sector of critical wind directions, ∘ the determined maximum value for the turbulence intensity is exceeded, and ∘ the determined characteristic value additionally exceeds a predetermined maximum value for the characteristic value. ∘ the measured wind direction is determined to be within a sector of critical wind directions, ∘ the determined maximum value for the turbulence intensity is exceeded, and ∘ the determined characteristic value additionally exceeds a predetermined maximum value for the characteristic value.