21/07/2023 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
We talked about the LGBTI+ report card of Turkey in the first half of 2023, with researcher Defne Güzel: Everyone has a common desire: freedom and equality. This is what will change the world.
Oppression, bans, police violence and detentions left their mark on LGBTI+ Pride Month. The Pride Month, in which at least 241 people were detained and LGBTI+s were even prevented from drinking tea, is over however oppression against LGBTI+s is steaming ahead.
Fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBTI+s have been violated by the government in recent years. Well, what do these violations mean? How do attacks against LGBTI+s threaten the constitutional order? What do the goings-on witnessed in the first half of 2023 tell us?
We asked all these questions and more to Researcher Defne Güzel from Kaos GL Human Rights Program. Güzel, who is a part of the team that prepares annual human rights report of the association, summarized the goings-on since the first day of 2023.
“LGBTİ+s are in the midst of a complete unlawfulness,” says Güzel. According to her, the main agenda of the first months of 2023 was constitutional amendment:
“The agenda of 2023 so far has been putting ban on speaking about LGBTI+ rights and paving the way for the closure of LGBTI+ associations.”
Güzel summarized the incidents experienced during the election period as follows:
“LGBTI+s’ security of life was fed to the lions for the sake of election strategy and collecting vote. LGBTI+s are left with actually a damaged reputation through these kind of speech. It means a lot for them. Damaged reputation means being vulnerable to violence, not being able to access services, being deprived of freedom of expression and being disregarded.”
“Oppressions targeting LGBTI+s’ freedom of association, is trivet of the oppressions against all kind of freedom of association” says Güzel and she emphasizes the importance of presence of Saturday Mothers, LGBTI+s and feminists on the streets, in terms of human rights.
“Bullying targets trans people at first”
We witnessed the bans on Pride Marches all across the country this year as well. What do these ban orders, which has become a tradition in recent years, mean in terms of the constitutional principle of equality?
Constitutional principal of equality emphasizes that everyone is equal before the law without distinction as to language, race, color, sex, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion and sect, or any such grounds. The expression “or any such grounds” is essential here. In fact this is also the manifestation of equality before the law in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity. However LGBTI+s have not been able to exercise their right to assembly and demonstration since 2015. Whereas this right ensures that everyone has the right to hold unarmed and peaceful meetings and demonstration marches without prior permission.
Whenever LGBTI+s gather in various provinces of Turkey with the aim of holding Pride March, they have been subjected to police violence, detention and torture since 2015. Marches and events are banned by the unlawful decisions of governorships. Sometimes they aren’t even in need of a ban order to prevent or intervene in marches. In this sense, LGBTİ+s are in the midst of a complete unlawfulness.
Ban orders were not limited to marches. Indoor events were also banned. All these barriers and obstacles to freedom of association tell us in terms of human rights in Turkey?
When we consider all the obstacles such as bans on indoor activities, intervention in the events as a result of monitoring through social media announcements, bans on marches, closure of LGBTI+ student clubs having been targeted, defamation campaigns and closure cases against non-governmental organizations and etc. we may say that we face an oppressive and depressive atmosphere. In fact oppressions targeting LGBTI+s’ freedom of association, is trivet of the oppressions against all kind of freedom of association.
We see Saturday Mothers, LGBTI+s and feminist women outside standing against oppressions. These counter positions are vital in terms of human rights. These are virtually guarantees of freedom of association.
On one hand LGBTI+ events are being banned and on the other hand we witness smear campaigns against particularly trans women in the media. How should we evaluate the similarity in the attitude of media and politics towards LGBTI+s?
To tell the truth, it isn’t surprising that trans people are being pointed out as a target. In my opinion, trans people are already the first ones whose rights are usurped. Bullying targets trans people at first. Bullying grows and boils down to intervention in trans people’s and surely LGBTI+s’ life style. And it is completed with trying to take away their rights and legitimizing the violation of their rights.
Those who violate LGBTI+s’ rights, have a great number of instruments at their disposal. Violating the rights of LGBTI+s is easy and legitimate for them. They can do it easily. On the other side, when a disadvantaged group is subjected to violation of rights, it is really hard for them to make their voice heard. I think this is a political polarization. The system give those, who bulldoze, a pat on the back and tries to turn down the volume of those, who are subjected to bullying. And as result contact areas, rights, organization and even gathering in daily lives, are being eliminated. There are some people who benefits from this system, in which everyone keeps away from each other, everyone becomes hostiles towards each other, everyone makes effort to destroy each other and LGBTI+s were named as the new hostile. However there is also a solidarity and organization against all the odds. Numerous LGBTI+s are coming together in various provinces of Turkey and in various countries of the world with the aim of introducing and celebrating their existence. Everyone has a common desire: freedom and equality. This is what will change the world.
“Constitutional amendment was the main agenda in 2023”
You regularly monitor human rights violations against LGBTI+s. How has 2023 gone so far?
It would not be wrong to say that this year’s agenda is the constitutional amendment. Many different scenarios were developed on the constitutional amendment proposal. Some of these scenarios also include propaganda ban on LGBTI+ rights and closure of LGBTI+ associations. Additionally, in parallel with the constitutional amendment, there are 150.000 signatures submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) by the Great Family Platform in order to issue propaganda ban on LGBTI+ rights and to close LGBTI+ associations as a result of hate rallies organized in 15 different cities of the country. And also there is a matter of fact that hate speech against LGBTI+s, adopted by politicians, reached a record high. Moreover, this hate speech was crowned by a protocol on closure of LGBTI+ associations and propaganda ban, signed between New Welfare Party and Justice and Development Party (AKP). That is to say, the agenda of 2023 so far has been putting ban on speaking about LGBTI+ rights and paving the way for the closure of LGBTI+ associations.
Undoubtedly, we witnessed violation of right to life, particularly against trans women. 2023 already had gotten off to a bad start, we learned Ecem Seçkin’s murder in İzmir, at the beginning of the month. We either didn’t forget the lynching attempt by reactionary groups at Selin Ciğerci’s workplace opening ceremony in Konya. Cancelling concerts of some singers, who support LGBTI+ rights, such as Melike Şahin and Mabel Matiz one after another, were also in the violation agenda of 2023.
On the other side, it is also important to remember that Esmeray, a trans woman and a performer, was nominated as a parliamentary candidate from Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), that some political parties promised to constitute LGBTI+ rights during election process, and that LGBTI+s gathered and marched, read press releases and didn’t obey the ban orders in June.
Is there a relation between anti-LGBTI+ attitude of the ruling party and discrimination and hate crimes experienced in daily lives?
Surely, there is. LGBTI+s are isolated and hostilized by the government. And, actually this means for LGBTI+s to try to be exist in an extremely unsecured environment. LGBTI+s become more vulnerable to discrimination and violation through these kind hate speeches. This is really caustic. We know from the counseling provided by the associations that the stress and anxiety of LGBTI+s have increased.. LGBTI+s’ security of life was fed to the lions for the sake of election strategy and collecting vote. LGBTI+s are left with actually a damaged reputation through these kind of speech. It means a lot for them. Damaged reputation means being vulnerable to violence, not being able to access services, being deprived of freedom of expression and being disregarded. Therefore, in my opinion Pride Marches are essential in this sense. LGBTI+s took to the streets and shouted their existence, following the hate speeches targeting them for months.
Translation: Selma Koçak
Tags: human rights, women
