30/11/2012 | Writer: Tunca Özlen

A new regulation, which was proposed to the Council of Ministers, labels homosexuality as a behavior worthy of discharge. According to the proposed draft, policy of isolation in cells, this is called as ‘the disko’ by the military prisoners will be abolished.

Turkish Military institutionalizes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation Kaos GL - News Portal for LGBTI+

A new regulation, which was proposed to the Council of Ministers, labels homosexuality as a behavior worthy of discharge. According to the proposed draft, policy of isolation in cells, this is called as “the disko” by the military prisoners will be abolished.


Penalty Point System to be implemented
In the proposed draft, military personnel who collect certain amount of penalty points will be punished accordingly. Same-sex relations, by the way, are labeled as “unnatural intimacy”. They are equated with murder, fraud, and bribery; major offenses defined by the military code which necessitates expulsion from military.
The penalty of cell isolation, which is called as “disko” (disco) by the men serving in military, will be repealed. Instead, a soldier’s right to leave of absence on weekends will be suspended temporarily.
Homosexuality to be necessitate disciplinary action
Homosexuality, which is not a criminal act under the Turkish Legal System, is defined as “unnatural intimacy” in the draft proposed to the Council of Ministers. Therefore, same-sex acts are suggested to be treated as the most severe criminal offense with murder, bribery, corruption, and treason.
“This is not the business of the army”
Barış Sulu of Kaos GL said that it was not military to decide whether homosexuality is natural or not. Sulu underlined that while in many other countries same-sex marriages and civil rights of LGBTs are being discussed, Turkey is “moving backwards”. According to Sulu, it is unlikely to reverse a right given to homosexuals in 1858. Sulu expects a public opposition if government tries to criminalize homosexuality.
“AKP (Justice and Development Party) reveals its world view”
Oya Aydın, a lawyer advocating LGBT rights, stated that a new regime was being established through these laws. According to Aydın, the government aims to by-pass the previous decisions of European Court of Human Rights convicting Turkey for human rights violations. The government, added Aydın, has also included codes that reflect its own vision of world. Aydın stated worries about criminalization of homosexuality in future during the debates on new the Constitution.
“Don’t even think about it!”
Gökkuşağının Kızılı (GK), an anti-heterosexist socialist organization struggling against homophobia, made a statement that condemns the draft. The GK stated that the aim of this new regulation in military codes is to make public ready for criminalization of homosexuality. They urged the government to “not even think about it”. The declaration ended with the phrase “We will not submit”.
(soL)
Translated by: Engin Bayram

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