‘LGBT Refugees Do Not Have Access to Right of Health in Turkey’

Within the scope of the 7th Meeting against Homophobia “Workshop concerning Discrimination and Violence LGBT Refugees Exposed to in Turkey and the Hardships They Suffer concerning the Access to the Right of Health” was realized in Ankara in Aylak Life Culture House yesterday (10th May).

 

In the workshop where participants from AI, Kaos GL, Human Resource Development Foundation (İKGV), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), Van Women’s Foundation (VAKAD), Iran Queer Organization (IRQO), Positive Life Foundation and Helsinki Citizens’ Association

(hYd) had their seat, problems LGBT asylum-seekers and refugees experience concerning the access of right of health were discussed.  

 

Members of civil society organizations having spoken in the workshop emphasized that LGBT asylum-seekers and refugees experience great hardships in the treatments in hospitals and in the access to drugs that they lose their lives because of the hardships they experience in the access of drugs.

 

The President of the Positive Life Association Nejat Ünlü expressed that right organizations which have to be busy with activities concerning advocacy allocate most of their time to the deeds that should be done officially but are not. Ünlü claimed that the access to drugs of refugees are provided not by the public authority but civil society organizations and the situation of each refugee who is ignored by the state is as if being sent to death.

 

It is stated in the workshop that LGBT refugees have to face discrimination in utmost degrees, that they cannot go out because of the psychological, sexual and physical violence, that a refugee going to the hospital has hardships in communicating with the staff of the hospital, and that he or she experiences hardships in the access to the right of health because of the language problem.

 

It is recalled that in addition to these, the patients who are HIV positive experience much more hardships during treatment and cure, that many doctors avoid to come close to the patient who is HIV positive.

 

In the workshop the opinions about Foreigners and International Protection Bill which is proposed to the assembly under the sign of the council of ministers on 3 May 2012 are mentioned as well.While emphasizing that “sexual orientation” and “prohibition of discrimination” phrases of the first version are removed in the bill, it is expressed that the bill is ambivalent.

It is stated that in the bill where ambiguous phrases put like public security, public health many important issues are left to the secondary legislation and those planned to be done will become clear with implementation.

 

Members of civil society organizations who participated in the workshop will share their opinions about the bill later. Besides, for the Refugees Day on 20 June organizations will be started so that activities may be actualized in several cities simultaneously.