09/01/2025 | Writer: Defne Güzel
In 2024, hate speech against LGBTI+'s in Turkey escalated. This series of hatred, led by politicians, manifested itself in the last month of the year with violence against trans women, as in previous months.
Violations
Two trans women were the targets of knife attack in Istanbul and fist attack in Izmir. While a trans woman's house was sealed in Adapazarı, the activist who was taken to a repatriation center told the price of speaking out against discrimination.
- Knife attack on trans woman in Istanbul: Istanbul Trans Pride Week announced that a man demanded money from a trans woman on the street and stabbed her when she refused. The incident took place on Friday, December 27th.
- Assault on trans woman in Izmir: On December 22, a trans woman standing on the street was punched by one of the two men on the street for no reason and continued on his way. The November 20 Association against hate attacks in Izmir made the footage public.
- Police operation against trans woman: In Adapazarı, police raided the house of a trans woman on the grounds of “prostitution”. As a result of the raid, the trans woman's house was sealed.
- Two books targeting LGBTI+'s have been published: The book “Imperialist Imposition LGBT”, which includes a law proposal on the criminalization of defending LGBTI+ rights, and Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan's book “Sexually Bargain Kids Growing Up”, which is known for his statements targeting LGBTI+ existences, were reflected in the monthly press scan.
- Activist detained during November 25th demonstration speaks out: Two Azerbaijani activists who wanted to participate in the November 25th protest in Istanbul were detained before the protest started and taken to the Repatriation Center. Ali Malikov, one of the activists who had to sign a “voluntary return form”, stated that they were kept handcuffed behind their backs for 10 hours and were subjected to threats, swearing and insults by the officials.
Targeting
In the last month of 2024, President Erdoğan, Erbakan, Chairman of the New Welfare Party, and Destici, Chairman of the Grand Union Party, continued to target LGBTI+ persons. LGBTI+'s were again mentioned side by side with concepts such as immorality, ifsad, desexualization project and deviant.
- Esenler Mayor spread phobia: Esenler Mayor Mehmet Tevfik Göksu targeted LGBTI+'s both at the opening and closing of the 5th Esenler Film Festival organized with the theme of “Family” and said “LGBT immorality”.
- The President addressed LGBTI+'s at the “Meeting with Young People” program: On December 15, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement at the program held in Erzurum and said, “LGBT or something like that, we are against these things.”
- AK Parti MP Rukiye Toy targeted LGBTI+ persons: Toy, who participated in the meeting of the Parliament's Commission to Investigate Violence against Women, said “LGBT+ issad movements with LGBT+ sauce”.
- Family Institute was established: The Family Institute, which was on the agenda in the action plan of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, which targeted LGBTI+s with the expressions “harmful movements” and “desexualization project”, was established.
- The heads of the International Sportsmen's Union and Eğitim-Bir-Sen Branch No. 1 targeted LGBTI+ persons: Addressing young people with a message, union president Bekir Ayaz targeted LGBTI+s by calling them “immoral movements”. Ali Kaya, the president of Eğitim-Bir-Sen Branch No. 1, called them “perverted ideologies” in his statement.
- LGBTI+'s were again on the agenda of Erbakan and Destici: Speaking at his party's Adana Provincial Congress, Fatih Erbakan, Chairman of the New Welfare Party, said “we will lock the doors of all LGBT associations”. Mustafa Destici, Chairman of the Grand Unity Party, made a speech at the Alperen Meetings, in which he referred to “deviant life style”.
- The reason for LGBTI+ phobia is “gender” in Konya and “family” in Istanbul: While the “Being a Family in a Metropolitan City” workshop organized in Istanbul mentioned LGBTI+s and bans in the same sentence, the “Gender in the Context of Creation” workshop organized in Konya dealt with being LGBTI+ in a discriminatory manner from beginning to end.
Course of the trials
In 2024, while activists who participated in the Pride March in Istanbul were sued, the good news of the year was that the closure of Hacettepe Queer Deer was rejected by the court.
- Lawsuits were filed against the participants of the Pride March: Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week Committee announced that 8 LGBTI+ activists who participated in the 22nd Istanbul Pride March held on June 30, 2024 were sued and the first hearing will be held on May 8, 2025.
- Hacettepe Queer Deer's closure was rejected: Hacettepe University Queer Research Society Queer Deer was shut down in 2023. The Regional Administrative Court ruled that the closure was unlawful and canceled the decision.
- Acquittal in “insult” case against journalist covering the Pride March: In the 19th Istanbul Pride March, the court acquitted Bülent Kılıç, who tried to prevent the police attack against journalists, in the lawsuit filed against him upon Hanefi Zengin's complaint.
Tags: human rights, women, media, family
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