08/05/2023 | Writer: Defne Güzel
Anti-LGBTI+ discourses covered violation of rights against LGBTI+s in April.
Peoples’ Alliance completely adopted LGBTI+ hostility as an election strategy before the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. So much that member of Peoples’ Alliance embitter hatred against LGBTI+s wherever they went, and they are deeply occupied with finding ways to collect votes from this hatred. LGBTI+s and the concept of LGBTI+ were criminalized as of 2023, with the effect of the election process. Anti-LGBTI+ discourses covered violation of rights against LGBTI+s in April.
In April, violation of rights against LGBTI+s reflected in the press were as follows:
- The indictment was filed within the scope of the case regarding Ecem Seçkin’s murder in İzmir on January 5. The autopsy report revealed 32 stab wounds, 8 of which were fatal. And it is learned that Mustafa had gone to Ecem’s house with three knives from the criminal report. The first trial of the case will be heard on June 16.
- Trans woman Ajda Ender, who has been exposed to systematic transphobia, insult and violence for 18 years by her neighbors, was also subjected to judicial harassment by the court. The prosecutor opened an investigation against Ender on the grounds of insulting to the defense attorney. Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Züleyha Gülüm brought the lawsuit filed against Ender to the parliament.
- The closure case filed against We Will Stop Femicide Platform was postponed to September 13, 2023. On the other hand, former board members of İzmir Bar Association acquitted within the scope of the case filed on the grounds of criticizing Religious Affairs President Ali Erbaş’s khutbah targeting LGBTI+s and people living with HIV.
- The man, who killed rans woman Nefes Balkan in 2021, appeared in court. The trial was postponed to June 15.
- Şemyani Perizaze, a Kurdish, bisexual artist and candidate for nomination from Green Left Party, was targeted on social media due to her sexual orientation. Perizaze made a call for solidarity. And finally it is revealed that METU Rules and Regulations Governing the Dormitories Regulation text, which was given a verdict regarding the unlawfulness of the regulation by the Ankara 9th Administrative Court, as a result of the lawsuit filed by METU students, hasn’t removed from the website yet. The regulation, which was evaluated as unlawful by the court, included highly discriminatory rules just as “acting against general morality”.
A series of violation of rights that left its mark on April 2023 were experienced in the context of hate speech. These slanderously discourses against LGBTI+s were spread by the components of Peoples’ Alliance.
- President Erdoğan participated in ATV-A Haber joint live broadcast named “Election Special Program with the President.” He said “We cannot accept imposition of perverse lifestyles such as LGBT to our society under color of freedoms” during the broadcast. And he said “The partners of Peoples’ Alliance have no problem such LGBT” at the opening ceremony of Atatürk Cultural Center-Terminal-Kızılay Metro. Erdoğan’s remarks against LGBTI+s with the aim of agitating for hatred weren’t limited to these. He threatened existence of LGBTI+s and non-governmental organizations by saying “We will never allow deviant movements such as LGBT to exist” at the Kanal D-CNN joint broadcast and he said “May 14 is the day to teach LGBT and those who support violence against women a lesson” in Gaziantep. While he said “Bye-bye Kemal, you cannot find LGBT supporter here” at “Right Now for the Youth” program, he continued to spread hate at a live TRT broadcast by saying “I call them LGBT table” addressing the alliance of opposition parties. Erdoğan said “Don’t pay attention to LGBT supporters” in Gemlik and he stated that they would form a Family Shield Program. And late in April he said “Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) has become the battering ram of LGBTI+ defenders” at the Great Ankara Rally. And he said “You cannot find LGBT supporters in our nation” within the scope of the rally held in İzmir.
- Hate campaigns against LGBTI+s conducted by the Minister of Interior were right up there with the President Erdoğan. The Minister said “We never let anyone to change our family structure, we have redline” at the Sultangazi Municipality event tent, and the minister said “They call LGBT+Q, that also includes human-animal marriage” by raising the level. And he asked “Is there LGBT in Hak Muhammed Ali’s way?” Last two remarkable statements of the Minister of Interior were as follows: “Those who want to dispatch Tayyip Erdoğan from the government are the same people who want LGBTs to come” and “Will you prefer the candidates supported by LGBT? Or the candidates supported by the nation?”
- Another politician who is famous with anti-LGBTI+ discourses is Erbakan. He asked “Where does this LGBT curiosity come from?” in Afyon, and he said “Coalition of seven also includes the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), Fetullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), and LGBT” in another TV program. And he said “Chaos table of seven gathered together with everyone including LGBT community” in Çorum. The general election manifesto of the New Welfare Party, of which Erbakan is the chairperson, also includes a promise regarding the closure of LGBTI+ associations. In addition, Erbakan criticized the stance of CHP on LGBTI+ rights.
- Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık, who keeps on running down LGBTI+s on all occasions, made a call for struggle against LGBTI+ rights.
It may be useful to remember the positive picture regarding LGBTI+ rights, in addition to these pessimist aspect. As a matter of fact, in the face of the pessimist aspect, April was a month in which establishment of LGBTI+ rights turned into an election promise.
- Green Left Party announced that they would eliminate inequality and discrimination against LGBTI+s in their election manifesto.
- Workers’ Party of Turkey candidate İrfan Değirmenci said “The history will be written by Hander Kader and those who were burned to death. History will write LGBTI+s!” in Ankara.
- One of the most remarkable developments was trans woman Esmeray’s, an activist and a performer, parliamentary candidacy from TİP. Trans women activists Niler Albayrak and Talya Aydın, and İzmir Bar Association LGBTI+ Rights Commission member and lawyer Sena Yazıbağlı also took place at the parliamentary candidate list of TİP.
- İYİ Party also promised to struggle against sexual orientation- based discrimination.
- Green Left Party candidate Kezban Konukçu stated that they would work on “establishing a commission to eliminate against discrimination targeting LGBTI+s”. Another Green Left Party candidate Hakan Öztürk said “LGBTI+s are struggling everywhere” within the scope of the speech he made during Spring Fest of the party. Furthermore Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who signed LGBTI+ Right Convention of Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD), called the other candidates to sign the convention. The interest in SPoD’s convention is increasing among candidates defending LGBTI+ rights.
- UniKuir Association brought the demands of young LGBTI+s together in an election manifesto. The constitutional guarantee of the right to strike and abolishment of compulsory military service drew attention in the manifesto. All these positive developments re-emphasized the dynamism of political practices and power of human rights in the face of dead politics conducting via LGBTI+ hostility.
Translation: Selma Koçak
Tags: human rights
