16/09/2024 | Writer: Kaos GL
SPoD distributed Turkish donuts for Ahmet Yıldız, who was murdered by his father, in Istanbul Saraçhane, where a hate rally against LGBTI+ was held under the name of Big Family Meeting.
Photograph: Tuğçe Yılmaz / Bianet
In response to a hate rally organized by the Big Family Platform, the Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD) held a peaceful protest, distributing donuts to the public.
According to a report by Tuğçe Yılmaz from Bianet, during the hate rally, organized under the slogan “Stop This Shameless Assault”, SPoD members distributed donuts near Fatih Mosque in memory of Ahmet Yıldız, a young man murdered by his father on July 15, 2008, because he was gay.
SPoD highlighted the community’s right to life and reminded the public that the struggle for equality continues, emphasizing that LGBTQ+ people have always existed and will continue to do so.
“They can say we’re not from here as much as they wish”
Speaking to Bianet about SPoD’s protest against the anti-LGBTQ+ rally, the General Coordinator of the Social Policy, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD), Oğulcan Yediveren, emphasized the unyielding nature of their fight for equality.
“We do not give up our struggle no matter what, because our struggle is a struggle for a life with dignity,” Yediveren said. “This is not something you can give up, it is not something you can say it is okay. They can say we’re not from here as much as they wish.”
Reflecting on his own experience, Yediveren, a 30-year-old gay man, explained, “I did not come from a rich, privileged family. I have been struggling hard to survive in this land for 30 years. The struggle for my rights is an integral part of my personal struggle for survival. It has to be so because someone is still organizing hatred against us freely and given a pat on their back, under the pretext of protecting the family.”
Yediveren also stressed that their movement aims for a peaceful and inclusive society. “We know very well that if these groups did not organize hatred against us, we could transform this society into one where everyone lives together in peace through the rights we fight for. Just like in Pride marches, we once again emphasize our demand for living together with the Turkish donut we distribute. We firmly believe that this demand has a response in our society.”
He concluded by calling for an end to the barriers preventing equality. “Open the barricades, lift the bans, and then see how tens of thousands of people fill those streets in the next Pride March.”
About the murder of Ahmet Yıldız
Ahmet Yıldız was tragically killed by his father, Yahya Yıldız, on July 15, 2008, in a brutal act of violence with a firearm. During the shooting, another person was also injured. After the murder, Yıldız’s family refused to claim his body, and he was laid to rest in the Cemetery of the Nameless, a stark reflection of the prejudice that surrounded his death.
The trial, which began on September 8, 2009, following the complaint of the wounded victim, has dragged on without any verdict for over a decade. Despite 40 hearings, justice remains out of reach, as Yahya Yıldız, the fugitive defendant, is still at large. A red notice was issued for his capture in 2012, but he remains elusive.
Over the course of 16 years, the case has seen numerous changes in judges and prosecutors. Yahya Yıldız was last reportedly sighted in Zaxo during the investigation.
Tags: human rights
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