Turkey

Article by Kerem Öktem in Middle East Report, September 2008

The court of Beyoglu (Istanbul) decided to close Lambdaistanbul LGBT Solidarity Association on the grounds that its aims are "against general morality, law and the Turkish family structure". Please sign the Lambdaistanbul petition and show your solidarity.

Press statement by Kaos GL

A criminal court case has been filed in Ankara, Turkey against the chief editor and owner of Kaos GL Magazine which is the only LGBT Turkish magazine that has been published since 1994.

Our legal demonstration with a legal permission on 06.08 2006, called “Homosexuals do have Associations”, in front of the city museum has been hindered.

Lambda Istanbul is getting kicked out from their premises! Sign a petition and help the Turkish organisation to remain in their office!

Two new documents are just published in relation to Turkey's progress towards EU accession.

EU leaders finally agreed to open membership negotiations with Turkey. Please find below a statement by the Turkish LGBT organisation and their report on the LGBT situation in Turkey.

On 15 September the deputy governor of Ankara said that official registration of an LGBT organisation in existence since 1994 is against the laws and morality rules and therefore it should be closed down.

On 17 December 2004, leaders of the European Union agreed to start membership negotiations with Turkey in 2005. Although the negotiations might take up to 15 years and there is no guarantee that Turkey will enter the European Union, this is a significant development in relations between the EU and Turkey.