Justice and Development Party

SPoD and Representatives of the LGBT Political Representation and Participation Platform Visited the CHP Leader

Source: “SPoD ve LGBT Siyasi Temsil ve Katılım Platformu Temsilcileri CHP Genel Başkanını Ziyaret Etti,” (SPoD and Representatives of the LGBT Political Representation and Participation Platform Visited the CHP Leader,”) 21 November 2013, http://www.SPoD.org.tr/turkce/SPoD-lgbt-ve-lgbt-siyasi-temsil-ve-katilim-platformu-temsilcileri-chp-genel-baskani-kemal-kilicdaroglunu-ziyaret-etti/

Following the Local Administrations Political School for LGBTs that ran between 11 and 17 November 2013, the Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD) continue their work to increase the political participation of LGBTs and visit political parties. Following the meetings with the politicians of the Democratic Party of the People (HDP) in the HDP extraordinary congress in October, the SPoD and the representatives of LGBT Political Representation and Participation Platform met with the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

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“We Know Faggotry Very Well!”

Source: Levent Pişkin, “Biz İbneliği Çok İyi Biliriz!” (“Levent Pişkin: “We Know Faggotry Very Well!”) bianet, 21 November 2013, http://bit.ly/1aSIcIR

As someone who has participated in fag politics and has been a self-identified fag for years, I am filing a formal criminal complaint against the Prime Minister, we will not leave faggotry to them! We claim both faggotry and its honor and shame.

During his July 17th, 2013 speech at the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) provincial managers’ meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “if Alevism is to love the Caliph Ali, I’m a perfect Alevi.”

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Sexual Rights and Freedoms Cannot Be Eradicated

Source: Sosyal Politikalar, Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği, (Social Policies, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Studies Association,) “Cinsel Haklar ve Özgürlükler Yok Edilemez,” (“Sexual Rights and Freedoms Cannot Be Eradicated,”) http://www.spod.org.tr/turkce/cinsel-haklar-ve-ozgurlukler-yok-edilemez/

As the LGBTI/Q movement, we have been working to protect and increase LGBTI people’s rights and freedoms for the last 20 years. We know that the LGBTI/Q movement has reached an important point through this struggle but also know that the state has not established any protective legal measures to secure LGBTI people’s rights during the 11 years under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

To the contrary, there have been closure cases against LGBTI associations during the AKP rule. However, the closure cases were rejected through European Union and European Court of Human Rights precedents. Therefore, the AKP government legally lost its struggle against LGBTI associations. Nevertheless, the LGBTI/Q associations’ legal demands have not been included in any law passed during the the AKP’s 11 years in power. The legal rights of LGBT people have been completely ignored.

Along with this, the AKP government continued to harass LGBTI people. The AKP’s former Minister of State responsible for Women and Family Affairs, Selma Aliye Kavaf, declared homosexuality to be a disease. In 2013, the AKP rejected the main opposition’s parties motion to establish an investigative commission for LGBTI people. While explaining the AKP’s policies on sexuality, MP Türkan Dağoğlu, reiterated that homosexuality is a disease and once again declared LGBTI people to be sick.

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What is the legal basis of police violence against trans people?

Source: Kaos GL, “Polisin Translara Uyguladığı Şiddetin Yasal Dayanağı Ne?” (“What is the legal basis of police violence against trans people?”) 02 November 2013, http://www.kaosgl.org/sayfa.php?id=15106

People against transphobia protested police violence in front of the Istanbul Şişli Police Station by responding to the Istanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association’s call.

A press statement was read at 04:00 PM in front of the Şişli Police Station to support trans sex workers who have been repeatedly attacked for the last 15 days in Şişli and to expose this police violence.

“What is the legal basis of police violence against trans people?”

Ebru Kırancı from the Istanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association read the statement on behalf of the group who held banners that said, “Our right to employment and housing cannot be restricted.”

Kırancı, who stated that trans women have been subjected to violence in Şişli recently, also remarked that “the police attack with bats in their hands as if they are on a witch hunt.”

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The Backstage to the Hate Crimes Law

Source: Melda Onur, “Nefret Suçları Yasasının Perde Arkası,” (“The Backstage to the Hate Crimes Law,”) Odatv.com, 1 October 2013, http://www.odatv.com/n.php?n=nefret-suclari-yasasinin-perde-arkasi-0110131200

I did not expect much from the democracy package. “It is not worth talking about a package that does not demand changes in the Turkish Civil Code (TMK) and the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and that continues to defend the election threshold” but I have to talk about one point: Hate Crimes…     

About a year and a half ago, a group reached me via e-mail; they started a campaign called “I Demand Hate Crimes Legislation.” They wanted me to sign the petition and help them reach other deputies to sign. The name of the campaign was “Don’t Hate” (“Nefretme“). I went back in time to my days of journalism and NGO activism and I rolled up my sleeves to enter the process. I signed the petition and I did my best to get other deputies to sign. But really, I had two principal issues to deal with. First, I had to help the campaign in media publicity. Second, I had to help the team contact commission leaders.

I immediately contacted the Association for Social Change (ASC), which embraces this campaign. I met Murat Köylü and Levent Şensever at ASC and we launched a media publicity campaign and a schedule for the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. During this process, I met Yasemin Inceoğlu, a rare scholar who works on hate crimes. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) Bursa Parliamentarian Aykan Erdemir, who has been working on this issue for years, already had contacts with the association in the legislative process. My part was to help create public opinion.

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“We hope to have an LGBTI mayor”

Source: Yıldız Tar, “İnşallah LGBTİ belediye başkanımız olacak,” (“We hope to have an LGBTI mayor,”) Etkin Haber Ajansı, 12 October 2013, http://www.etha.com.tr/Haber/2013/10/12/guncel/insallah-lgbti-belediye-baskanimiz-olacak/

The Democratic Party of the People (HDP) Beyoğlu Co-President and LGBTI activist Levent Pişkin states that they will educate all of their candidates about LGBTI politics for the local elections.

Pişkin emphasizes that they will develop an understanding of LGBTI friendly municipalities. He says, “We hope we will have an LGBT mayor” in response to remarks by Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek who said, “I hope we will not have a homosexual mayor.”

With the forthcoming local elections the Democratic Congress of the People (HDK) and the Democratic Party of the People (HDP) started to work on an LGBTI commission.The HDK/HDP called out to LGBTIs to organize in a joint meeting with LGBTI organizations and activists.

Levent Pişkin, the Co-President of HDP Beyoğlu and LGBTI activist, talked to ETHA about the issue and stated that they activated the commission in order to effectively create LGBTI policies.

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Fatma Bostan Ünsal of the AKP: There is a Place for Gays in the Prophet’s Assembly

Source: Kaos GL, “Fatma Bostan Ünsal: Peygamber Mescidinde Eşcinsellerin Yeri Var,” (“Fatma Bostan Ünsal: There is a Place for Homosexuals in the Prophet’s Assembly,”) 14 October 2013, http://kaosgl.org/sayfa.php?id=15004

Fatma Bostan Ünsal, one of the 64 founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), talked to Tuğba Tekerek from the liberal newspaper Taraf and she took a outspoken stance on the LGBT rights issue when compared to the AKP. Ünsal stated that the LGBT issue is a test for them and evaluated the “democracy package“ in the interview.

“Hate crimes are mostly committed against LGBTs”

Ünsal said that the legislation on hate crimes in the democracy package, which left out the terms sexual orientation and gender identity, must also protect LGBT people:

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The term “Gender Identity” cannot be removed from the “Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination’s Draft Statute”

Source: Kaos GL, “Ayrımcılıkla Mücadele ve Eşitlik Kurulu Kanun Tasarısı Taslağı’ndan “Cinsel Kimlik” İbaresi Çıkartılamaz!”, (“The term “Gender Identity” cannot be removed from the “Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination’s Draft Statute,”) 2 February 2012, http://www.kaosgldernegi.org/etkinlikdetay.php?id=7248

We have just learned that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) removed the term “gender identity” from the Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination’s Draft Statute.

We, the LGBT Associations who work on human rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) people in Turkey, demand the re-inclusion of the term “gender identity” to the draft statute of the Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination.

Removing the term “gender identity” from the draft statute, prepared in order to protect citizens against discrimination, is to legitimize the discrimination and human rights violations committed against LGBT people. The removal of “gender identity” shows us once again that the homophobic approach of the State Minister Aliye Kavaf who stated that “homosexuality is an illness,” reflects the AKP government’s politics.

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What is Deemed a “Crisis” in the New Constitution Debates is Homosexuals’ Right to Life

Source: Kaos GL, “Yeni Anayasa Yazımında “Kriz” Adı Altında Tartışılan Eşcinsellerin Yaşam Hakkıdır,” (What is Deemed as a “Crisis” in the New Constitution Debates is Homosexuals’ Right to Life,) 22 May 2012, http://www.kaosgl.org/sayfa.php?id=11417

Kaos GL released a statement about the discussions on including the “sexual orientation and gender identity” phrases in the “equality” article of the New Constitution on 22 May 2012.

LGBTs ask for guarantees for their right to life

Kaos GL, in collaboration with all LGBT associations, insists on getting the reality of “sexual orientation and gender identity” recognized in the New Constitution.

If the terms “sexual orientation and gender identity” that describe the existence of LGBT people are not being added to the “equality” article of the constitution, LGBT people will continue to be evaluated as “everybody” or “the other” or “and the like” and politics of denial will remain.

The “crisis” in the Constitutional Reconciliation Commission during the discussion of “equality” item is a crisis of determining who will be accepted as a “citizen” and who is going to be respected as “human.” The objection to “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” signs that LGBT people will not be accepted as citizens.

LGBT people’s right to life is ignored by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), though the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Republican People’s Party (CHP) recognize it.

If the government does not recognize LGBT people and does not ensure their human rights, it will support the current discrimination under the name of ‘’the New Constitution’’ and will open the way to discrimination and hate crimes that LGBT people are already subjected to.

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