The press statement for Trans Pride Walk was read in Pangaltı in Istanbul rather than Taksim Square as originally planned due to a heavy police blockade. Anti-transphobia activists marched to Harbiye.

Source: “Trans Pride Walk took place in Harbiye in spite of the ban!” (Trans Onur Yürüyüşü yasağa inat Harbiye’deydi), kaosGL.org, July 2, 2017, http://kaosgl.org/sayfa.php?id=24123

Foto: SPoD LGBTI

Anti-transphobia activists met today (July 2) at Pangaltı, upon the call of the Istanbul LGBTI Solidarity Association within the scope of Trans Pride Walk. The press statement was read in front of the Pangaltı metro station. The statement protested the last minute ban of the governor’s office and commemorated those who were murdered in Sivas Madımak Hotel on July 2, 1993.

Detentions following the march

After the statement, anti-transphobia activists walked to Harbiye following Cumhuriyet Avenue. After the walk, the police took 7 people into custody. The police did not state the reason for the arrests. The names of the detained are: Buse Kılıçkaya of Pink Life LGBTI, LGBTI+ activists Şevval Kılıç, Özgür Durmaz, Emre Aymelek, Beniz Ertürk, Umut Avcı and photographer Ömer Tevfik Erten.

The detained rights activists were taken to Feriköy Police Station and were all released after an hour long detention.

After releasing these 7 people, the police immediately detained them once more in order to “to draw up a record”.

Photo: SPoD LGBTİ

Taksim under police blockade

Last night people were banned from assembling at Taksim square. The surrounding area was under police blockade. Gezi Park was closed, the entrance to many streets on İstiklal Avenue were blocked and police harassed people sitting in the cafes around Mis Street.

The statement was read in Taksim

The press statement for the walk was read on Öğüt Street which hosts Istanbul LGBTI Solidarity Association.

We ask the governor’s office!

Here is the full text of the press statement:

To the press and public,

Trans Pride Week has been banned by the governor’s office for the last two years, in spite of years of peaceful celebrations and the march not constituting any problems against public order.

The governor’s office states that “the aforementioned march’s organization will not be allowed for the safety of our citizens, first and foremost the participants, and tourists who are visiting the area, and in regards to public order.”

We ask the governor’s office;

*In the previous 8 walks which citizen’s security were threatened?

*Which tourists were ever harmed?

We are as sure about this as we are about our tranny-ness; neither the Istanbul Governor’s Office nor the office of the Prime minister can justify such an excuse…

The Governor’s office of Istanbul has gracefully added the security of the trans and anti-transphobia activists to its announcement. The Governor’s office might have forgotten; so we shall remind it!

Esteemed Governor;

You have been banning Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Walk for the last 3 years and Trans Pride Walk for 2 years. During these 3 years, nearly 100 anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia activists were injured, tens of them were detained and hundreds of citizens were subjected to police violence. Many citizens who have come to Taksim to exercise their most basic rights were put on trial in a lawless manner.

And again, highly esteemed Governor, our exercise of the constitutional rights were inhibited by the civilian fascists’ calls for jihad, murder and massacre, under the watch of the law enforcers working under you…

Is security maintained by tear-gassing the citizens?

We ask:

Is security maintained by tear-gassing, assaulting and detaining the citizens exercising their constitutional right? Is what you call security maintained by condoning the attacks of civil fascists, committing a crime according to the constitution?

We know that the governor will not answer these questions. The governor and all those who agree on the ban should know that we will never give up daring to use our constitutional right!

Transphobia and xenophobia

Today, the Middle East is struggling with wars, internal conflicts and repressive policies of the political powers. Across the border, war in Syria and Iraq shows its cruel face to trans rights. Many organizations such as ‘Army of Conquest’ and ‘Free Syria Army’, supported by the government on the grounds that they are dissidents, have perpetrated crimes against LGBTI+s systematically and massacred many of our friends in the most primitive ways possible.

Amidst all these atrocities, LGBTI+s were forced to migrate to Turkey in the hope of a new life but were once more systematically condemned to oblivion. Migrant trans individuals trying to survive against all the hardships they experience in public space are condemned to a civilian death within a system deprived of support mechanisms.

The deplorable state of the camps, the steep rents, unemployment and insecurity have become ordinary for the migrants, the hardships are double for trans individuals.

Transphobia within the society, when combined with xenophobia, leads to violence and threats become a fact of life for the migrant trans individuals residing in Turkey. Every breath we take and every moment we live have become a struggle for survival.”

We, as the trans individuals of this country, speaking different languages, hailing from diverse regions and carrying all colours of the world in their hearts, declare that we will not allow any of our trans friends to stand alone against death threats, state or civilian violence and any kind of discrimination. Despite the state rationality that prevents us from coming together and all discriminatory ideas; we the trans individuals will continue to stand together regardless of language, religion, race or colour!

We have a couple of things to say to the Governor who banned our walk for the trans individuals migrating to Turkey from Syria and all other countries!

Esteemed governor, perhaps you don’t know, let us remind you!

According to Article 34 of the Constitution ‘ Everyone has the right to organize unarmed and non-violently assemble and protest marches without need for permission.’

And according to Article 3 of the Law No. 2911, everyone has the right to protest and to march without having to be given permission.

Esteemed Governor, as citizens fighting for the protection of constitutional rights, we invite you to act according to the constitution and not to commit any crimes!

Do not forget that those who came before you and banned the walk are either in prison or dismissed from their posts. And yet we are still here! We will continue to protect our lives and our living spaces! Even if you blockade each street against our walk, we will strengthen our struggle for survival in every home, in every street and in every city.

Don’t remain silent, trans individuals exist! The borders only exist in our minds, migrant trans individuals are among us!

We will continue to defend our living spaces, get used to it, we are not leaving!