Here We Are, The Killed; Where Are the Murderers?

A press release regarding  the murder of a trans-woman in İzmir, Tuğçe Şahin, was made on 3 April in Ankara Yüksel Street. Slogans were shouted and candles were lit on the monument of human rights in memory of Tuğçe.

Tuğçe was shot dead with one bullet into her head while in a car on Friday in İzmir, Karabağlar. For the murderer/s of 23-year-old Tuğçe to be arrested and for hate crimes to be ended the press release made in Ankara Yüksel Caddesi reads:

“Each year 20 transgender friends of ours are being killed. For so many years, we are being struck by those cruel murders against transgender individuals. Every death knell as a result of hatred transgender individuals are subjected to and the similarities of these murders lay bare the ideological system behind the cruel attitudes against transgender people. “ The press release calls out firstly to the Governement and then to lawmakers, Parliament’s Commission of Human Rights and the whole society.

 

 

Protestors stressed their resistance against the normalization and internalization of trans murders through media and society, and they lit candles for Tuğçe and all victims of hate murders. The participant parties are Pink Life LGBTT Solidarity Association, Hebûn Diyarbakır LGBT Initiative, İllet, İstanbul LGBTT Association, Women’s Door, Kaos GL Association, Lambdaİstanbul LGBTT Association, Families of LGBTT İstanbul Group (LİSTAG), MorEl Eskişehir LGBTT Initiative, METU LGBT Club, Black Pink Triangle İzmir Association, Social Policies Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD), Socialist Feminist Collective and Voltrans Trans-Men Initiative.

 

Photos by Gülistan Aydoğdu

 

ATTENTION TO THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC OPINION;

Tuğçe was shot by a bullet and murdered in a car in Karabağlar town in İzmir. She was only 23 years old. Our friend’s body was unrecognisable because of the assault she was exposed to.

 

Every year,we hear about almost 20 trans people being murdered. For years, we have been shocked by those fierce murders. Every murder caused by the hate for trans individuals and the similarity between those murders reveal the ideological system behind the violent attitude against the trans people in this country. With every murder, as trans individuals who are the “step children” of this country, we ask ourselves how long these systematic and intense violations of rights will continue.  Each time, we call the authorities to take the initiative to give an end to it. We reprobate the unsafe work conditions, attempts of violence and lynch surrounding the trans individuals and we explain the measures to be taken one after another.

 

We ask the law makers, especially the government, the Human Rights Comission of the Parliement and the public: “When will you take the situation we explain into account? and When will we have the equal rights as the citiens of this country? and When can we live in our houses safely and walk around the streets without the fear of attack, lycnh attempt, sexual harrasment and rape? When are the steps to destroy the hate against us going to be taken? When are the promissories given in the  international arena through the Council of Europe Recommendations  and through the Convention on the Protection of Women Against Violence going to be put into action? How long are you going to keep silent about the murders of transexual people? Are you aware that you take part in it as you remain silent?”

The murderer/s of our friend Tuğçe who has been killed pitilessly must be found out urgently. The criminal judgement should be applied on the murder suspect/s, this time without abatement  depending on the reasons such as “unjust provocation” or “good conduct”. It should depend on the Basic Human Rights. The goverment should apply the required legal regulations including “the definition of the Hate Crimes in the relevant legislation and the Consideration of the Hate Crimes as an aggravating factor” in the first place.

We can not not remain silent about being murdered and about the murderers’ being released!

 

We do not “get used to, get familiar with and can not stand” the murders of  trans individuals and we stand against the system which “normalizes, internalizes and gets inured to them” in the hands of the media and the society!
 
Never Hush, Never Share the Crime! (Sessiz Kalma Suça Ortak Olma!)

Hebûn Diyarbakır LGBT Oluşumu