By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Apr 21 | Violence against Turkish LGBT's in a series of attacks that has left eight Transgendered women dead and several others seriously injured, coupled with attacks on Gay men which have escalated over the past three months in the Turkish cities of Istanbul & Ankara, has Turkish Gay activist Kemal Ördek renewing his call for the Turkish government to step in.
“The Turkish government should stop ignoring demands by Pembe Hayat and other LGBT’s in Turkey to take measures to stop ongoing transgender killings,” he said in an interview, “The Constitution and the Penal Code need to guarantee equality and non-discrimination. The Government in turn needs to stop hate murders against transgender people and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Ördek also took aim at what he perceived as government endorsed bias & intolerance as evidenced by remarks delivered last month he said by Turkish State Minister in Charge of Family, Aliye Kavaf.
Aliye Kavaf Photo By Mehmet Kaman
"I believe homosexuality is a biological disorder," Kavaf had said in March. "I think it is a disease that needs treatment."
Ördek noted that a handful of LGBT activists had interrupted a conference on gender equality last Thursday in Ankara, which was also attended by Italy's Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna, demanding that Kavaf apologise for her remarks that homosexuality is a disease.
The minister was giving a speech when the demonstrators began shouting slogans, asking her to apologise for her statement.
Kavaf ignored the protesters and went on with her speech as cameras turned toward the demonstrators who held banners reading: "Don't hate, apologise."
Moments later, men in dark suits covered the mouths of the protesters and dragged them out of the hall.
Turkish Security Agents Remove Protesters Photo By The Associated Press
Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but gay people say they lack legal protections and face stigmatization in the Muslim nation. Gay rights groups have been calling on the government to amend the criminal code to state clearly that discrimination on basis of sexual orientation, as well as gender identity, is a crime. Turkey's government has implemented broad reforms in its bid to join the European Union but remains heavily influenced by conservative and religious values.
Ördek, member of the Turkish LGBT organisation Pink Life, said that even though there has been some response to the concerns of the LGBT community by Turkish police and government ministries, the attitudes such as Minister Kavaf expressed last month seemed to be more commonplace among authorities. In the wake of the killings, the police have made efforts to investigate and resolve these crimes. In two of the earlier cases, suspects were caught and prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison, and in two other cases suspects are in pre-trial detention. The remaining murders are being investigated. However, little has been done to protect LGBT people in Turkey, especially transgender people, from future acts of violence.
European bodies have called on Turkey, a member of the Council of Europe, and on other states to protect LGBT people from violence. The European Union, to which Turkey is seeking admission, had adopted a progress report in February, reminding the Turkish government of the need to safeguard all minorities, including LGBT people.
“All citizens of Turkey, including transgender citizens, are entitled to live without fear of murder or persecution,” said Hossein Alizadeh, coordinator of IGLHRC’s Middle East and North Africa program. “The homophobic killings need to stop, and for this we need the Turkish government to take concrete action to protect transgender people.”
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