12/02/2025 | Writer: Defne Güzel
“Crusade, plague, battering ram...” These were the key words for targeting LGBTI+ people in January. The Year of the Family started by dehumanizing LGBTI+'s.
President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared LGBTI+s as “crusade”, ‘plague’ and “battering ram”, and 2025 as “Year of the Family”. While Turkey claimed to the ECHR that “these events can be held” regarding the ban on LGBTI+ events, it was revealed that the police attacked the event in question. The circle of hate speech included harassment, discrimination and violence against trans women and once again LGBTI+ events were banned. TİHEK's response to the discrimination was “this is the law”.
Violations
While attacks, harassment and discrimination against trans women continue, the head of TİHEK said “This is the law” regarding the lack of sanctions. Some “psychiatrists” continued to target LGBTI+s with familiar sentences.
- Queerfest was banned: Before the 13th Pink Life Queerfest's film screening on January 23, the police went to the Mülkiyeliler Union and told them that the event was banned. This ban was followed by a ban on the entire festival. Thus, like last year, Queerfest took place this year despite the bans.
- Harassment of a trans woman: In an incident in Çankaya, Ankara, a group of people sprayed a trans woman with a fire extinguisher.
- Gender reassignment audit commission established: The Ministry of Health launched an “audit mobilization” in public hospitals through ministry inspectors. These commissions, including the “Gender Change Audit and Evaluation Scientific Commission”, will monitor the functioning and audit processes of all hospitals.
- “Psychiatrists” are back on stage: Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan described the de-sexualization movement as “a project by global capital and powers to reduce the world population”, while Psychiatrist Writer Dr. Mustafa Mermer emphasized that “LGBT propaganda is being carried out on a global scale”.
- Murat Övüç detained: An investigation was launched against Murat Övüç for “insulting religious values” after he shared an image of himself wearing a headscarf. Murat Övüç was detained for a while as part of the investigation.
- Service denial to trans woman: According to the screenshot shared by the victimized trans woman, the service provider in the field of health aesthetics refused to provide service because she is a trans woman.
- Trans people are targeted again on Bornova Street: According to the footage shared by November 20 Association, trans women were attacked on November 8 and January 16.
- Discriminatory attitude from TİHEK: TİHEK President Muharrem Kılıç responded to the question of why discrimination applications against LGBTI+s were rejected by saying “this is the law”.
- Mil Diyanet Sen's signature campaign for the closure of LGBTI+ associations: Many branches of the union made anti-LGBTI+ statements and said that the signature campaign will be realized simultaneously in Turkey. The union had previously organized signature campaigns and targeted LGBTI+ people.
Targeting
LGBTI+'s was declared by the President as “crusade”, ‘plague’ and “battering ram” and 2025 as “Year of the Family”.
- President Erdoğan declared 2025 as the “Year of the Family”: “The LGBT issue is one of the most serious threats to the existence of the family today,” Erdoğan said in his post-cabinet speech and announced that 2025 was the Year of the Family. Shortly afterwards, the Year of the Family Promotion Meeting was held. While the Minister of Family and Social Services targeted LGBTI+'s in this meeting, Erdoğan compared LGBT to a battering ram in his speech there. In another speech, the President likened LGBTI+'s to a “crusade” and in the youth branches congress of his party, he likened them to a “plague”.
- Targeting by the Minister of Family and Social Services: Minister Mahinur Göktaş used the expression “desexualization” at the Tekirdağ Provincial Congress, and continued to use this analogy in the television program she attended.
- HUDA PAR and IYI Party targeted LGBTI+s: Islamist HÜDA PAR's Şehzade Demir called LGBTI+’s as “perverts” and nationalist IYI Party's Burak Akburak targeted LGBTI+ people in his speech. DEM Party reacted to hatred. In the agenda evaluation made at the headquarters of HUDA PAR, a proposal was made to “criminalize the activities of LGBT organizations”.
- Destici also continued to target LGBTI+'s: Mustafa Destici, the chairman of the Grand Unity Party, continued to target LGBTI+s with the expression “perverted thoughts like LGBT”.
- Netflix tension in the Parliament's Digital Media Commission: While Netflix made a presentation at the commission meeting and admitted that LGBTI+ content was caught in the “sensitivity” wall, AK Party MPs started a contest of bullying. The reaction to this situation came again from DEM Party deputies.
- Targeting at the Population Policies Board: Speaking at the meeting, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz attributed the decline in the fertility rate to “desexualization”.
- LGBTI+s are targeted in another Friday sermon: Following the declaration of the “Year of the Family”, the Religious Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) included the phrase “desexualization activities are heresy” in its Friday sermon.
- Family Conference by Grey Wolves' Hearths: LGBTI+ rights organizations were implicitly targeted in the conference held in Tekirdağ.
The course of the trials
In its defense to the ECHR, Turkey stated that “the press statement attacked by the police could be held”. Kaos GL announced that Bayram Sokak case is at the Court of Appeal and Ecem Seçkin case is at the Court of Cassation.
- Turkey made a defense to the ECHR: In the LGBTI+ event bans case brought to the ECHR by Kaos GL, the government said that a press statement could be made, but it was noteworthy that the press statement was attacked by the police.
- Acquittal in Bülent Kılıç case: In the 19th Istanbul Pride March, the court acquitted journalist Bülent Kılıç on charges of “resisting to prevent the execution of his duty” and “insulting a public official” when he tried to prevent the police attack on journalists.
- Trans Pride March trial: The January 28th trial was postponed and the new date has not been announced yet.
- Bayram Street case: Last year, the houses of trans people living on Bayram Street in Beyoğlu, Istanbul were sealed. The lawsuit filed against the sealing decision was rejected. The file is on appeal.
- Appeal hearing in the D.D. case: Halil G., the defendant who injured D.D. and caused her to be in danger of death, did not come to the hearing.
- Ecem Seçkin case: Mustafa Fidan was sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of Ecem Seçkin, a trans woman who was murdered in Alsancak, Izmir. Seçkin's lawyers demanded “aggravated life imprisonment”. Appeal rejected the request. The file is at the Court of Cassation.
Tags: human rights
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