Turkish Colonel Father Kidnapped His Own Son For Being Gay

Ramazan Kalkan, a member of Pink Life LGBTT Solidarity Association based in Ankara, asserts that his boyfriend Umut Göktuğ Söyler was kidnapped by Söyler’s father and uncles on 23 February. Kalkan says that he was attacked and threatened with death by the kidnappers. There is still no information on the missing son.

 

Ramazan Kalkan told kaosgl.org that his relationship with Umut Göktuğ Söyler was intervened by Söyler’s family. Kalkan was threatened with death several times by Söyler’s father who is a senior colonel. The father sent and confined the son to his uncle’s house in a remote city called Amasya to separate the two. When the son escaped from the uncle who is a police man, the couple applied to prosecution office for a protection order. Although the order was given, the police didn’t show up when Söyler’s father and uncles attacked Kalkan and kidnapped Söyler. Record of a security camera found recently reveals the kidnapping.

 

Lawyer Ahmet Toköz told that there is not an active investigation despite the fact that victim’s security of life is at risk and commented: “The process is not going fast because the victim is gay and the perpetrators are close to the police.”  

 

Binnaz Toprak, an MP from the main opposition party Republican People’s Party (CHP), said yesterday that her party will follow the incident to speed up the police investigation.

“I called Fatma Şahin, Minister of Family and Social Policies and Ministry of Internal Affairs but I couldn’t reach them. We will do whatever we can in order for police to make an active investigation.”

 

CHP requested an inquiry 2 weeks ago from the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) to find solutions for the problems of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Turkey, signed by 59 CHP deputies.