LGBT people are not protected against hate speech in Turkish Parliament

 

The parliamentary question from Sezgin Tanrikulu, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of the Turkish Parliament, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), received a response.

 

The parliamentary question on the “prevention of usage of hate speech and discriminatory statements in Grand National Assembly of Turkey” submitted to Turkish Parliamentary Speaker’s Office was responded to by Sadik Yakut, Turkish Parliamentary Deputy Speaker.

 

MP Yakut from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) referred to parliamentary immunity in his response and he reminded that “according to the Bylaws of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, a person who utters rude and hurtful statements in the General Assembly will be immediately warned by the Chairman, requested to leave the floor in the case of that person’s insistence on speaking and may be excluded from the session if the Chairman deems it necessary”.

 

Sadik Yakut, Deputy Chairman of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, attracted attention to the Political Ethics Conciliation Commission’s bill of law on preventing hate speech and discriminative statements in the Assembly, which was finalized in December 2012 and submitted to the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office.

 

 

In this bill of law from the Commission, which was established with the purpose of developing a clear, honest and accountable understanding of politics and defining ethical principles by making a detailed examination on political ethics, the principle that “any discrimination due to such reasons as language, race, color, gender, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, age, physical, mental and psychological disabilities shall not be in question” was indicated. The fact is statements such as “sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression” were not indicated.

 

In his response, Mr. Yakut also shared the [names of] MPs who received disciplinary punishment in the 24th Term of the 3rd Legislative Year of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.