14/03/2024 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
As part of the #localelection24 news file, we interviewed İlke Acar and Berna Aytaç, candidates representing the Workers’ Party of Turkey for Municipal Council in Beşiktaş and Şişli.
Left: İlke Acar, Right: Berna Aytaç
As the local elections draw near, municipal council member candidates have been confirmed. Among those vying for positions in the Municipal Assembly on March 31 are representatives from the LGBTI+ community. The Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) is notably featuring LGBTI+ candidates for municipal council members.
We sat down with Berna Aytaç, the TİP’s leading candidate for Beşiktaş Municipality Council Member in Istanbul, and İlke Acar, the top candidate for Şişli Municipality Council Member, delving into their strategies for advancing LGBTI+ rights if elected and discussing the imperative measures local governments should adopt to counter discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Beşiktaş Municipality Council candidate Berna Aytaç emphasized the significance of LGBTI+ visibility in society for advocating for rights. She stressed that this visibility should encompass not only sexual orientation and gender identities but also the labor and contributions of LGBTI+ individuals and added:
“Lucky me if I can contribute to district, where I live, to some extent by doing my best in order to realize the future we dream of; a future where our pursuit of rights doesn’t exceed that of any cis-hetero individual around us and where we can openly express who we are without fear or hesitation.”
“Anti-Discrimination Regulations”, “Targeted Service”, “Security Blankets”...
Aytaç’s primary objective, if elected, is to implement anti-discrimination regulations. She emphasizes that LGBTI+ individuals shouldn’t face service denial based on their identity and stresses the importance of ensuring they lead lives under equitable conditions like all citizens.
Another aim of Aytaç is to implement “Targeted Services.” Stating that this objective aims to address the specific needs and challenges faced by LGBTI+ individuals, Aytaç added that it includes vital initiatives such as raising awareness and providing support for HIV, implementing measures to address transgender individuals’ difficulties in accessing healthcare due to their identities, ensuring easy access to HPV vaccines, and offering training or employment opportunities for experts to provide sensitive psychological support regarding gender identity and sexual orientation.
Highlighting the lack of safe environments for LGBTI+s, Aytaç identified her third objective as “Security Blankets” and elaborated on this goal with the following remarks:
“The insecurity we’re addressing is not isolated to individuals; it’s pervasive among entire communities, who have been portrayed as adversaries through the polarizing narratives and discourses crafted by public figures entrusted with safeguarding their citizens. Consequently, one of the paramount concerns is establishing security blankets where LGBTI+ individuals can seek refuge when they feel threatened. To achieve this, I’m committed to advocating for the establishment of shelters and support hotlines within parliament.”
Highlighting the significance of education and awareness initiatives, Aytaç emphasized the importance of fostering connections between the public and the LGBTI+ community. Expressing a commitment to promoting such interactions, Aytaç stated, “We are your family, neighbors, shopkeepers, the ones who share tea and coffee with you, who celebrate and mourn alongside you. I believe that fostering this understanding among people is crucial for advancing LGBTI+ rights.”
“I am committed to ensuring LGBTI+ people receive the services and respect they rightly deserve”
Highlighting that local governments have close ties with the public, Aytaç emphasized the importance of providing services to LGBTI+ individuals and all minorities with principles of “equal representation,” “equal treatment,” and “equal access” to combat discrimination.
Aytaç underscored the need for policies and agreements to prevent discrimination against municipal employees based on their identities and orientations, emphasizing the necessity of imposing serious sanctions against such discrimination.
She further expressed her commitment to raising awareness about LGBTI+ issues among the residents of Beşiktaş through various events, meetings, and training sessions. Aytaç concluded her remarks by affirming her dedication to fulfilling her responsibilities as a municipal council member and added the followings:
“I am committed to carrying out my duties in line with the trust placed in me by the local community, fully cognizant of my responsibilities. My goal is to ensure that every citizen, including LGBTI+ individuals, women, and minorities, receives the services and respect they rightfully deserve.”
“Candidacies of LGBTI+’s in local elections enhance visibility”
İlke Acar, the leading candidate for Şişli Municipality Council Member, underscored the significance of LGBTI+ individuals being represented as candidates for the Municipal Council. Addressing the escalating levels of LGBTI+ animosity in recent times, Acar remarked, “The pervasive need to conceal one's sexual orientation or gender identity within homes, workplaces, and even among family, neighbors, or friends is an inherently corrosive experience. Asserting our presence as representatives against the surging tide of LGBTI+ hostility will instill confidence in all LGBTI+ citizens residing in our society.”
Acar emphasized that local governments represent one of the most conducive arenas for grassroots organizing in the struggle for rights. She asserted, “Therefore, I believe that candidacies in local elections enhance visibility and positively impact our legitimacy within society.”
Acar also outlined the actions she would pursue to advance LGBTI+ rights if elected. Beginning her remarks with a tribute to Boysan Yakar, who made significant contributions to Şişli, Acar stated, “If elected, I aim to advocate to the municipal council that all services offered as part of fundamental citizenship rights should be tailored to accommodate LGBTI+ individuals, and I intend to advocate for their implementation through concerted efforts.”
Acar outlined the services envisioned for LGBTI+ individuals as follows: establishing support systems for elderly members of the LGBTI+ community, setting up job placement centers to facilitate employment opportunities for LGBTI+ individuals, promoting the participation of LGBTI+ individuals in vocational training programs, devising social support systems and violence prevention measures tailored to the needs of LGBTI+ citizens, guaranteeing unhindered access for LGBTI+ individuals to health screenings, preventing any discrimination against transgender individuals in municipal transportation services, and offering psychological support services specifically for LGBTI+s.
“Municipal employees should know that LGBTI+s are members of our society”
Acar highlighted the limitations of the binary gender system and concluded her remarks by emphasizing the steps that the municipality should take:
“Gender training should be provided to all departments within local governments, accompanied by initiatives to challenge traditional gender roles. Similarly, to address discrimination based on sexual orientation, comprehensive training on LGBTI+ rights should be provided to all individuals within local government bodies. It’s crucial that this training goes beyond mere theory. It is our responsibility to ensure that every local government employee understands that LGBTI+ people are integral members of our society and acts accordingly in their roles. Furthermore, the organization of public municipal events to combat discrimination and promote the employment of LGBTI+ people in visible positions should be a top priority.”
Translation: Selma Koçak
Tags: human rights, women, health
