28/10/2023 | Writer: Defne Güzel
The excuse for attacking LGBTI+ rights in September was “protecting the families”. Politicians were insulting them while LGBTI+ people came together at büyük hayat buluşması (big life meeting) to support equality and freedom against hatred.
September lasted with hate speeches by politicians targeting LGBTI+ people. Vatan (homeland) Party members said they were preparing a draft constitution against LGBTI+ people at the time the latter ones were exposed to racketeering, threatening, censoring and harassment. Suspects of Eryaman-Esat case was sentenced to 62 years of looting and attempting to loot trans women’s assets.
At the time of the call for the hate meeting against LGBTI+ people had started to aired by the decision of RTÜK1 (The “Supreme” Board for Radio and Television), the LGBTI+ people were taken in custody by torture while they were protesting the decision. Kaos GL aired a live video of “Büyük Hayat Buluşması” (Big Life Meeting) on YouTube on the same day of the hate meeting to answer the organization. The participants of the hate rally were also watching the online meeting at the same time with great interest which is organized by Kaos GL.
Politicians Had Increased the Hate and the Dense of Their Speeches Targeting LGBTI+ People
Like in the previous months, we witnessed the increasing number of speeches that contained more and more violations of human rights by politicians in September targeting LGBTI+ people. Some of the significant cases targeting LGBTI+ people are:
* Former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek kept targeting a member of the world champion Turkey’s Women's National Volleyball team member Ebrar Karakurt.
* Member of the AKP (AK Party), Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu kept a hate mode of speech against LGBTI+ people while proposing to impose a ban on the “propoganda” of LGBTI+ people.
* “Hukuk ve Fikir Platformu” (The platform of Law and Idea) had stated that they would apply to the court that LGBTI+ associations be closed.
* New Welfare Party (YRP) leader Fatih Erbakan, whose party is in alliance with AKP and some others, blamed LGBTI+ people as a foreign agency and said they prevented them from being in power in Erzurum and Bingöl speech.
* Another hate speech from BBP (Greater Union Party) leader Mustafa Destici said “it is impossible to be a nationalist for LGBTI+ people”.
* Media pundit and cleric “Cübbeli” Ahmet Hoca recently took a mission to speak about LGBTI+ people and said “the devil would escape instead of being aside of LGBTI+ people”.
* Member of AKP and Parliamentary of Turkey, Fuat Oktay reacted against the report of the European Union about Turkey by saying “Family is a union consisting male and female...Turkey’s direction would never change”.
* MHP member of Parliament Ertuğrul Gazi Konal who graduated from Cadastre Technic of Map and Construction Technologies, had a statement that is not related to his major: “LGBTI+ people are a common enemy of all religions”.
* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Turkey, was elected several times after disputed presidential elections and actions under the table had a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2023 – 2024 Education Year. He stated they would fight against “perverted” movements. On the other hand, which is more interesting, in his statement at the UN, he called on state authorities to struggle against LGBTI+ movements. Also, the colors used by the UN to indicate development were also a target of him.
* Ali Erol prepared a report named “Directions of Homophobic Speech in September 2023” which can be read at this webpage: https://kaosgl.org/haber/homofobik-nefret-soyleminin-2023-eylul-seyri
Targeting LGBTI+ People Increased Violations of Rights
While the target speeches had increased, the violations of rights has also increased and diversified. Some of the violations published in the preess are listed here:
* Rectorate of ODTÜ (Middle East Technical University) had opened an investigation to two students who wave a LGBTI+ flag at graduation ceremony. There were not any regulation of discipline had written on notification sent to the students.
* An investigation had opened after islamist attack on an exhibition named “Ortadan Başlamak” (starting from the middle) organized by Municipality of İstanbul. The perpetrators claimed that the exhibition was a propaganda of LGBTI+
* A group of young people had came across through trans woman waiting at pavement and opened a high volume music and frightened trans woman.
* Two police saw two people had sexual relationship inside a car then asked them 20.000 TL in an exchange of “not to take an action”. The two people filed a complaint and then two police was sent to prison.
* A reporter saw one couple kissing while doing a street interview and then started to threaten them.
* Education Minister Yusuf Tekin targeted Universal Human Rihgts. He announced that a lecture called “Family in the Turkish Society” added to schedule.
* Two islamist newspaper, Akit and Milat targeted an awarded (Stonewall Youth and Children Literature Award) book Morris Micklewhite and Tangerine Dress and the book labeled as harmful.
* At the TV show presented by Esra Erol, information about one person including appointed name the photographs from the past which are disturbing for the person and adaptation period are exposed.
* Vatan Party (Homeland Party) announced that they had prepared an anti-LGBTI+ draft law.
* A “workshop” named “Vision of Strong Family, Social Protection Workshop” organized at Niğde with the founding role of Governorate of Niğde. Similar organization was also held in Gümüşhane.
* Hacettepe University had closed student society named “Queer Deer” by claiming that the group was inactive. The group had been also blocked to put a desk.
* CKD (Women of Republic) and TGB (Youth Union of Turkey) protested a LGBTI+ themed film in Denizli. The small size of the group was remarkable.
* Police forces and ÖGB (Special Security Corp) attacked a desk opened by Feminist Boğaziçi for orientation days at Boğaziçi University. Also, the rainbow flag seized with the claim that the flag was “forbidden”.
* The Governor of Şırnak, Cevdet Atay signed a scandalous decision at 28th September. He announced the people who are in the act of “secret prostitution” will be fined. He gave directions to the gendarme and police forces.
* Another scandalous decision had made by TİHEK (Human Rights and Equality Instution of Turkey). Proposal of transfer to another type of ward for the person detained in a single ward denied.
Decision Made of Eryaman-Esat Case: Totally 62 Years of Prison to the Suspects
Aside by the violations of human rights, cases heard in September. Some of them published in the media can be seen in this list:
* KCDP (The Platform of We Will Stop the Murders of Women) cases were heard. Two women in front of the building which cases were heard were detained because they waved a rainbow flag. The case was closure case and it was denied.
* Sitrak Kaplan, the person on trial accused of murdering the person who is in a relationship with Sitrak. Sitrak denied the claims of killing the person. The court asked a communication records from BTK (The institution of Information Technology and Communication).
* Lubunca (a language of Lubunya / Syn. A language of queer people) case resulted as student found innocent who posted an e-mail contains words from the language. The prosecutor had claimed that the e-mail was insulting.
* The defendants of the case of 2. Ankara Pride explained about the police violance. The case postponed to 15th of November.
* The trial of Serhat Arpa who attacked two trans women at Alsancak, İzmir is on case. The case were heard on 7th of September and it was postponed to the 19th of October.
* The case of Ecem Seçkin (murdered trans woman sex worker) was postponed to 1st of December. * The Eryaman-Esat case first heard at 11st of September and then postponed to 29th of
September. The trial was postponed again, to 2nd of October. At 2nd of October, Şammas Taşdemir Harun Çardak, Ayhan Günay and Ahmet Günay punished total 62 years of prison sentence due to looting and attempts to loot.
“Big Life Meeting” against “Big Family Meeting”
One of the news of the “violations of rights” was the organization of “Big Family Meeting” also known as “hatred meetings”. Organization came with new violations of rights including:
* The organization of “Big Family Meeting” which also include a march were organized by the anti-LGBTI+ groups.
* RTÜK decided to air the video of the call to the “Big Family Meetings” on TV channels. * The Group members of “Direnişin Renkleri” (The Colours of Resistance) was detained by torture.
* “Psychiatrist” Nevzat Tarhan send a video message to the hate organization to support them without any care of job ethic.
* At the same day of hate meeting, journalist Yıldız Tar presented “Big Life Meeting” pre-owned channel at Youtube and guested fighters for LGBTI+ rights. Almost ten thousand people has seen the broadcasting.
* Then, Kaos GL aired a film named “Public Service Announcement” which the name was used for the call of the “Big Family Meeting”. Because of the film, the producers and the people in the video who acted got death threats. TCDD (State Railway of Turkey) sued because the video was shot at Marmaray (It is an transportation of railway passing all the way through southern shore of İstanbul.). Kaos GL sent support messages after the incident to all LGBTI+ people.
Translated by Kaan Akgün
Tags: human rights
