18/03/2025 | Writer: Suay Yüksel
Kaos GL and 17 Mayıs Associations highlighted the situation of LGBTI+ individuals living with HIV in Turkey for the UN Human Rights Council's Sustainable HIV Intervention Report.
In response to the UN Human Rights Council's call for information to prepare a report on sustainable HIV interventions focusing on the human rights of individuals living with, at risk of or affected by HIV, Kaos GL and 17 May Association shared the situation of LGBTI+ individuals living with HIV in Turkey.
Strategies and HIV interventions in disasters
One of the questions posed by the Council was about HIV interventions in the context of conflict and disasters. In this context, the associations referred to the report ‘The Impact of the 6 February Earthquakes on LGBTI+ Individuals’ and reminded that‘HIV medicines were not prioritised in temporary pharmacies established in disaster areas’. The urgent need for HIV medication in the region was met with the efforts of LGBTI+ organisations and civil society organisations working in the field of HIV." They also underlined that the privacy of HIV positive disaster victims was violated.
The associations stressed that the National AIDS Commission does not meet regularly and does not cooperate with LGBTI+ organisations. They also drew attention to the fact that dormitory administrations refuse to accept people living with HIV by requesting HIV tests and that occupational health doctors violate the privacy of employees. The contribution also mentioned that doctors refuse to treat patients living with HIV.
The associations also noted that although citizens registered in the address-based population registration system and registered with the Social Security Institution (GSS) have access to medicines, there are problems in accessing medicines for citizens of the Republic of Turkey who have GSS premium debts, are homeless or staying in shelters. They also added that although citizens of the Republic of Turkey have access to medication, every person living with HIV and diagnosed with HIV in Turkey should have access to medication.
‘The budget share allocated to HIV studies should be increased’
In their contributions, the associations stated that local governments in Turkey are hesitant to improve their services within the scope of HIV or do not have information on this issue. They suggested that the four-year Strategic Planning of local governments should be carried out with the participation of local civil society organisations active in the field of HIV and LGBTI+ and that the budget share allocated to HIV studies should be increased. They also stated that while the spread of HIV in Turkey is increasing every year, local governments should establish partnerships by conducting various awareness and advocacy activities to provide the necessary funding. In light of these issues, the associations recommended the development of a National HIV Action Plan and the allocation of central and local government budgets to civil society working with subject and key populations.
Key barriers to the promotion, protection and monitoring of human rights in relation to the HIV response
The contribution stated that chronic health problems that foreigners had in Turkey before they were covered by the General Health Insurance (GHI) are not covered by the GHI. This means that foreigners cannot access medication in Turkey.
The associations stated that monitoring studies prepared by non-governmental organisations working in the field of HIV also reveal that the most violated rights of persons living with HIV in Turkey are the rights to access to health, work and privacy. For this reason, they suggested that HIV awareness of health service providers should be increased. They also suggested strengthening practices that ensure the privacy of persons living with HIV and developing policies that protect the right to work of persons living with HIV in the workplace. It was also stated that people living with HIV, who continue their lives in a closed strategy against all kinds of discrimination, do not have access to justice due to the risk of further victimisation and do not establish sufficient relations with non-governmental organisations because they do not want their status to be revealed.
HIV-related stigmatisation and discrimination in Turkey
The contributing associations revealed that the Republic of Turkey currently lacks an effective response plan to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination. It was also noted that access to abortion services in hospitals has become impossible as a result of the government's anti-abortion and pro-choice policies. In addition, it was noted that access to contraceptives has become even more difficult under these circumstances.
They also revealed that the withdrawal of the Republic of Turkey from the Istanbul Convention means a regression in the rights of women and LGBTI+ persons. The government is targeting civil partnerships, nuclear family structure and individualisation as a result of its pro-natalist policies. In addition, the associations stated that while LGBTI+ persons are targeted by politicians with concepts such as ‘desexualisation’ and ‘deviant’, the amendments made to the Civil Code and the Penal Code are designed to make the gender adjustment process of transgender persons more difficult and to punish LGBTI+ forms of expression.
In addition, it was emphasised that the Presidency of Religious Affairs, a constitutional institution, targets unmarried unions, people living with HIV and LGBTI+ persons in its sermons.
‘The Ministry of Health did not come side by side with civil society organisations working in the field of HIV and LGBTI+’
The contributing associations also stated that the Ministry of Health in Turkey has not come side by side with civil society organisations working in the field of HIV and LGBTI+ for a long time. They stated that it ignores the violations of rights, discrimination and stigmatisation that people living with HIV are exposed to by not speaking out and not developing effective policies on this issue. It was also emphasised that while subject associations working in the field of HIV provide counselling services, LGBTI+ organisations and youth organisations also provide counselling services and implement various reports. In the light of these realities and considering the unjustified inspections, resource limitations, violations of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly that associations and civil society organisations are subjected to, it was pointed out that the ministry should first create conditions for effective participation with CSOs and create spaces where subjects can listen to their demands.
HIV interventions addressing intersectional issues
This contribution reveals that there are no specialised studies on sexual and reproductive health of sex workers and trans individuals in the current period. For this reason, it is stated that transgender people face discrimination in accessing health services, such as doctors refusing to examine them, and their HIV status is publicised by health workers. In another case, the deportation of a refugee trans woman by the state for publicising her HIV status on social media shows how the extent of violations can increase. As a result, HIV is presented as a justification by perpetrators in hate crimes against LGBTI+ persons.
It was also stated that unregistered refugees living with HIV cannot access medication, language barrier is a disadvantage for refugees in accessing health services and hostility towards refugees is a form of discrimination. Due to all these problems, the associations recommended the development of policies and practices that include the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as well as health status, as discrimination against LGBTI+ persons living with HIV deepens.
Priorities and recommendations
Under the theme of ‘Year of the Family’, the associations also mentioned the increasing hate speech against LGBTI+ individuals and pro-natalist policies, and listed the most important priorities and actionable recommendations for a sustainable HIV response in relation to human rights as follows:
- Turkey should implement the National HIV/AIDS Action Plan based on UNAIDS targets and the data obtained should be shared with the public.
- Effective work should be carried out to eliminate stigmatisation and discrimination, which is the fourth of the 95 targets of UNAIDS.
- The government should abandon criminalising policies towards HIV, LGBTI+ individuals and sexuality and adopt anti-discrimination policies.
- Access to medication should be ensured for every individual living with HIV and diagnosed in Turkey.
- Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres should be encouraged and expanded by municipalities.
- Public awareness raising activities should be carried out to ensure that the general population has access to regular and non-discriminatory testing and diagnosis centres and to change their behaviour.
- Information activities on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections should be increased.
- Legal arrangements to protect the access to health services, right to work and privacy of persons living with HIV should be determined and implemented.
Tags: human rights, health, hiv
