Ankara Bar Association Offers Free Legal Aid to LGBTI

The Gelincik Center established by the Ankara Bar Association has begun offering free legal counseling for LGBTI individuals who are victims of violence.

Source: Çiçek Tahaoğlu, “Ankara Barosu’ndan LGBTİ’lere Ücretsiz Hukuki Destek” (“Ankara Bar Association Offers Free Legal Aid to LGBTI”), Bianet.org , December 24, 2014, http://www.bianet.org/bianet/lgbti/161048-ankara-barosu-ndan-lgbti-lere-ucretsiz-hukuki-destek

The Gelincik Center, a non-profit set up by the Ankara Bar Association to offer free legal advice and counseling services to abused women and children, has announced that it will extend its services to LGBTI individuals.

Attorney Özlem Günel Teksen, vice president of the center, has explained that the center is already offering legal advice to many victims of violence who call from all over Turkey. For applicants in Ankara, she said that the center provided free legal representation in court. She said that LGBTI applicants will also be included in the project.

“We have not received that many applications from LGBTI yet. But during one of my shifts, a LGBTI individual called us and we provided legal advice. We saw that there was already a demand even though we had not made an announcement.”

“Of course we did not reject any LGBTI who applied, when the project was limited to women and children. We thought announcing our free legal counsel and advice services to LGBTI would increase the number of applications.”

“We have some training as lawyers on matters of violence against women. It is our intention to work with LGBTI solidarity organizations and organize training on the subject.”

7/24 Hotline

The Gelincik Center, part of the Gelincik Project started in 2011 by the Ankara Bar Association, serves women, children and LGBTI who have been subjected to physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse.

If you are subjected to violence you can reach the Gelincik Center around the clock. Attorney Özlem Günal Tekşen declares, “Our hotline is available for everyone in Turkey. We are ready to provide legal advice. However, we can only provide free legal representation in Ankara.”

Gelincik Center Telephone: 444 43 06

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