Trans Women Not Allowed in Shopping Mall in the Turkish Capital

Trans women were not allowed in the central shopping mall in Ankara, Kizilay AVM, due to an arbitrary decision by the administration.

Wednesday evening two trans women, Asena and Hazal, who went to meet their friend Yasmin at Ankara’s “Kizilay AVM” shopping mall were stopped by private security at the entrance. The security chief justified the situation by saying that “President Gul has a directive that prevents people of your kind getting in.” Asena and Hazal left the scene without making any complaint about the violation.  

 

Bihter who called her friend Hazal without knowing what happened found Hazal feeling quite down. After learning the reason, Bihter went to Kizilay AVM with her friends yesterday. She talked to the security chief and reminded him of his claim about President’s directive, which he denied yesterday. He kept on claiming that the administration of the mall decided in a meeting not to allow anyone who has feminine ways of acting, looking like a transvestite with a wig on and with marginal looks.”

 

The decision document was not shown to the women and Bihter wanted to learn the name of the man to make a complaint. That is when she and her friend Ilyas were forcefully taken out of the mall.

 

After being taken out, Bihter called the police with the hope of getting help: “They wanted us to cover up the incident. They did not really care.”

 

The women said that the Cankaya Central Police Station were not interested in helping them because of their gender identity.

 

“They offend us in the society” says Hazal, who kept facing discrimination at the police station with her friends Bihter and Yasmin. The women were kept at the station from 7 PM to 9 PM when their statements were finally taken.

Translation: LGBTI News Turkey