Source: “Şişli Belediyesi’nden LGBTİ’lere ücretsiz hizmet.” (“Public service from the Şişli Municipality.”) Radikal, 10 October 2014, http://www.radikal.com.tr/saglik/sisli_belediyesiden_lgbtilere_ucretsiz_hizmet-1218959

Şişli, Istanbul, Municipality initiated free health care services for the LGBTI communities. LGBTI individuals will be able to benefit from health care services for free and, if they would like to do so, using nicknames rather than disclosing their identities.  

For the first time in Turkey, Şişli Municipality in Istanbul began providing health care services for LGBTI communities. According to the announcement by Kaos GL, following meetings between Lambdaistanbul, SPoD, and the Şişli Municipality, which signed the “LGBTI Friendly Municipality Protocol,” the Municipality decided to provide health care services devoted to LGBTI individuals. 

The primary care physician will provide the services

As of October 1st, the work hours for the outpatient care unit in Şişli Municipality’s Health Department have been extended. A primary care physician [titled “family practitioner” in Turkey] is now providing services until 8:00pm five days a week at the outpatient care unit until. Additionally, in order for the health care services devoted to LGBTI individuals to become more extensive, the outpatient care unit will provide free and anonymous STD testing once every three months. 

“My colleague’s personal freedom was threatened… I wish he took office sooner…”

Boysan Yakar, chief advisor to Şişli Mayor Hayri İnönü, was the subject of news stories in the Sabah newspaper, which used his photographs from an LGBTI demonstration he previously participated in and argued that “he is stirring up  the CHP [the main opposition party].” Consequently, Mayor İnönü released a statement via Twitter and said: 

“This is my announcement to the public in response to the news stories in today’s newspapers regarding our colleague that were of a threatening nature to his personal rights and freedoms. In a colleague, I do not look for sexual orientation but for honesty, reliability, and proficiency. What is important for me is their demonstrable work performance. I am very satisfied with my colleague in question. I wish he held office in the previous terms of our municipality.”