Emir Sarıgül

LGBTI organizations condemn Yakar’s beating in the Şişli Municipality

Source: “LGBTİ örgütleri, Yakar’ın Şişli Belediyesi’nde darp edilmesini kınadı” (“LGBTI organizations condemn Yakar’s beating in the Şişli Municipality”) Pembe Hayat, 22 December 2014, http://pembehayat.org/haberler.php?id=620#.VJgM4RZEraw.twitter

Led by Istanbul LGBTI, LGBTI organizations have condemned the beating of Boysan Yakar, a consultant to the Mayor of the Şişli Municipality and an LGBTI activist, at the Municipal Building, by persons alleged to be closely associated with Emir Sarıgül (former Şişli Municipality Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül’s son). 

“We have viewed the images of Yakar’s beating with sorrow”

The organizations called to mind that for some time in the Şişli Municipality, controlled by the Republican People’s Party, ongoing tension between President Hayri İnönü and Deputy President Emir Sarıgül had reached a threatening level, and that in the end Sarıgül had resigned; and [the organizations] said, “With sorrow we have viewed on a number of news platforms, including the main news bulletins, the images of our friend Boysan Yakar being battered with brute force, beaten by ‘Sarıgül’s Men’ in the Municipal Building after the Şişli Municipal Council [meeting] on 29 September 2014.”

The LGBTI organizations called to reminded as well that they had attentively followed the process that began with the candidacy of LGBTI activists in political parties for membership in the Municipal Assembly in the local elections of 30 March, and noted the following:

“We will continue our fight against violence”

“We condemn and reject all threats to which our friend — who for so many years has engaged in the pursuit of justice, comprehended the Gezi Spirit, and placed this candidacy of his on the agenda — has been exposed while exercising his right to democratic participation and, furthermore, fulfilling his responsibilities; [we condemn and reject] as well as the assault and battery which is a concrete extension of the threats.

“We thoroughly reject violence, no matter whom it comes from; and to the public we respectfully submit that we will continue to fight against hate speech and collective violence to which LGBTI individuals are subjected, and that these and similar acts of bullying will not intimidate any one of us, either individually or collectively.

 

List of signatories:

Istanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association
Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association (Kaos GL)
Black Pink Triangle Izmir Association
Mersin 7 Colors LGBT
Pink Life LGBTT Solidarity Association
Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association
T-DER
MorEl Eskişehir LGBTT Formation
Queer Adana
Çukurova University Rainbow Club
LeGeBit Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Study Group
Dersim Moon Light LGBTI 
Antalya Pink Caretta LGBTQ
Kocaeli LGBT Initiative
Izmir LGBT Initiative
Malatya Youth Initiative Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Independent activists