Hate Crimes Committed Towards LGBTT Individuals in Turkey
07/11/2007
By
Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law
Bulletin August 2007
Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law
Hate Crimes Committed Towards LGBTT Individuals in Turkey
THE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES FACED BY LGBTT INDIVIDUALS IN TURKEY ARE ON THE INCREASE. LGBTT INDIVIDUALS ARE FACING DISCRIMINATION, ILL-TREATMENT AND TORTURE JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS OR SEXUAL IDENTITIES. THEY ARE FACING SEVERAL OBSTACLES WHEN THEY WANT TO FORM AN ORGANIZATION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.
WHILE THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS OVER A CIVIL CONSTITUTION NOWADAYS, AS THE COMMISSION FOR MONITORING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LGBTT INDIVIDUALS AND LAW, WE DEMAND THAT PROVISIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUNDS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND SEXUAL IDENTITY ARE PUT INTO THE CONSTITUTION AND RELATED CODES AND THAT HATE CRIMES COMMITTED TOWARDS LGBTT INDIVIDUALS ARE DEFINED AND PUNISHED.
• Hate Homicide in Bursa
Transvestites and transsexuals who have to make prostitution because they are deprived of the rights to get education and to work are facing human rights abuses. Hate crimes committed towards transvestites and transsexuals are on the increase because people under suspicion always benefit from the sentence reduction on the grounds of “unjust provocation” when they commit a crime towards transvestites and transsexuals. One of the recent victims of this hate was 22 year old, transvestite sex worker Ece who had lived in Bursa. She was stabbed and murdered on August 18 by a man because she refused his offer to make sex. Ece’s 19 year old friend Didem, who wanted to protect Ece during the event, was wounded from her hand. Ece and Didem had made a press statement together with their friends on August 13, just five days before this event, in order to tell that they did not want to do sex work and made job application to Bursa City Directorate of Turkish Labour Institution. We demand arrangements in order to guarantee the fundamental rights and freedoms of transvestite and transsexual individuals in Turkey.
• Hate Homicide in Konya
20 year old Abdullah also became a victim of the hate towards LGBTT individuals. He was stabbed from his neck and groin and murdered violently in Konya by two men whom he met through internet. Abdullah’s body was found three days later after he was killed. We demand that hate crimes committed towards homosexuals are defined. Homosexuals are facing discrimination and violence everywhere in Turkey. Existing codes do not protect LGBTT individuals against discrimination and violence. If crimes committed towards LGBTT individuals are not punished, human rights abuses continue to occur.
• Hate Crimes in Istanbul
The discrimination and violence directed at LGBTT individuals actually have political support. As a result of this political support, LGBTT individuals are also attacked by the police, who is actually responsible for securing public order, as it was the case which occurred at Taksim district in Istanbul. 19 year old E.Ç. was beaten by two police officers on the street after leaving the gay bar Tek Yön on August 25 because he did not give the way to the police car on the street. According to E.Ç.’s statements, the police officers continued to beat him after taking him inside the police car and one of them tried to rape him by trying to take off E.Ç.’s trausers but gave up because E.Ç. resisted him. E. Ç. also stated that he was later taken to Taksim District Police Department where he was insulted by a police officer who shouted “He is a faggot!” and was beaten by 10 more police officers. E.Ç. added that no official record about him was made at the police department. After the police officers let him go, E.Ç. took a medical report, showing that he was beaten, at Taksim First Aid Hospital and made an official accusation about the police officers. As the Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law, we had made a press statement regarding the amendments on the Code of Police Duties and Authorities and said that these amendments would increase the human rights abuses towards LGBTT individuals. As the Commission, we demand that the Ministry of Interior investigates this event and punishes the police officers who took part in the event.
• Hate Statements Towards LGBTT Refugees in Turkey
A transsexual couple, who escaped from Iranian regime in order to seek asylum in Turkey where they were settled in a Central Anatolian city, were forced to leave their home where they were living in by their landowner and neighbours who cut their water and electricity supplies and blocked their telephone lines. The refugees coming to Turkey in order to go to other country are forced to settle in 26 cities. These cities are conservative cities where the fundamental rights, such as the rights to have shelter and to work, of transsexual and homosexual refugees may be abused. They may also face direct homophobia and violence of the society. We demand that the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Ministry of Interior in Turkey, which are the responsible institutions for this issue, make arrangements in order to guarantee the rights of LGBTT refugees in Turkey.
• Hate Homicide in Iran
A gay couple was murdered in Iran, where the regime orders the execution of LGBTT individuals, on August 24. According to Kaos GL correspondent Amir Hujjeti, who witnessed the execution in Tehran, the 24 year old active gay was executed in the city square. The passive gay was tortured and murdered by the Besiçs, the morals officers, outside the city. We demand that Iran stops the executions of LGBTT individuals and guarantees their fundamental rights and freedoms.
We won't stay quite towards these violences and discriminations!
Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law
Kaos GL Associaiton
Kaos GL İzmir
Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Solidarity Associaiton
MorEl Eskisehir LGBTT
Pembe Hayat LGBTT Associaiton
Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law
Hate Crimes Committed Towards LGBTT Individuals in Turkey
THE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES FACED BY LGBTT INDIVIDUALS IN TURKEY ARE ON THE INCREASE. LGBTT INDIVIDUALS ARE FACING DISCRIMINATION, ILL-TREATMENT AND TORTURE JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS OR SEXUAL IDENTITIES. THEY ARE FACING SEVERAL OBSTACLES WHEN THEY WANT TO FORM AN ORGANIZATION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.
WHILE THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS OVER A CIVIL CONSTITUTION NOWADAYS, AS THE COMMISSION FOR MONITORING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LGBTT INDIVIDUALS AND LAW, WE DEMAND THAT PROVISIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUNDS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND SEXUAL IDENTITY ARE PUT INTO THE CONSTITUTION AND RELATED CODES AND THAT HATE CRIMES COMMITTED TOWARDS LGBTT INDIVIDUALS ARE DEFINED AND PUNISHED.
• Hate Homicide in Bursa
Transvestites and transsexuals who have to make prostitution because they are deprived of the rights to get education and to work are facing human rights abuses. Hate crimes committed towards transvestites and transsexuals are on the increase because people under suspicion always benefit from the sentence reduction on the grounds of “unjust provocation” when they commit a crime towards transvestites and transsexuals. One of the recent victims of this hate was 22 year old, transvestite sex worker Ece who had lived in Bursa. She was stabbed and murdered on August 18 by a man because she refused his offer to make sex. Ece’s 19 year old friend Didem, who wanted to protect Ece during the event, was wounded from her hand. Ece and Didem had made a press statement together with their friends on August 13, just five days before this event, in order to tell that they did not want to do sex work and made job application to Bursa City Directorate of Turkish Labour Institution. We demand arrangements in order to guarantee the fundamental rights and freedoms of transvestite and transsexual individuals in Turkey.
• Hate Homicide in Konya
20 year old Abdullah also became a victim of the hate towards LGBTT individuals. He was stabbed from his neck and groin and murdered violently in Konya by two men whom he met through internet. Abdullah’s body was found three days later after he was killed. We demand that hate crimes committed towards homosexuals are defined. Homosexuals are facing discrimination and violence everywhere in Turkey. Existing codes do not protect LGBTT individuals against discrimination and violence. If crimes committed towards LGBTT individuals are not punished, human rights abuses continue to occur.
• Hate Crimes in Istanbul
The discrimination and violence directed at LGBTT individuals actually have political support. As a result of this political support, LGBTT individuals are also attacked by the police, who is actually responsible for securing public order, as it was the case which occurred at Taksim district in Istanbul. 19 year old E.Ç. was beaten by two police officers on the street after leaving the gay bar Tek Yön on August 25 because he did not give the way to the police car on the street. According to E.Ç.’s statements, the police officers continued to beat him after taking him inside the police car and one of them tried to rape him by trying to take off E.Ç.’s trausers but gave up because E.Ç. resisted him. E. Ç. also stated that he was later taken to Taksim District Police Department where he was insulted by a police officer who shouted “He is a faggot!” and was beaten by 10 more police officers. E.Ç. added that no official record about him was made at the police department. After the police officers let him go, E.Ç. took a medical report, showing that he was beaten, at Taksim First Aid Hospital and made an official accusation about the police officers. As the Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law, we had made a press statement regarding the amendments on the Code of Police Duties and Authorities and said that these amendments would increase the human rights abuses towards LGBTT individuals. As the Commission, we demand that the Ministry of Interior investigates this event and punishes the police officers who took part in the event.
• Hate Statements Towards LGBTT Refugees in Turkey
A transsexual couple, who escaped from Iranian regime in order to seek asylum in Turkey where they were settled in a Central Anatolian city, were forced to leave their home where they were living in by their landowner and neighbours who cut their water and electricity supplies and blocked their telephone lines. The refugees coming to Turkey in order to go to other country are forced to settle in 26 cities. These cities are conservative cities where the fundamental rights, such as the rights to have shelter and to work, of transsexual and homosexual refugees may be abused. They may also face direct homophobia and violence of the society. We demand that the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Ministry of Interior in Turkey, which are the responsible institutions for this issue, make arrangements in order to guarantee the rights of LGBTT refugees in Turkey.
• Hate Homicide in Iran
A gay couple was murdered in Iran, where the regime orders the execution of LGBTT individuals, on August 24. According to Kaos GL correspondent Amir Hujjeti, who witnessed the execution in Tehran, the 24 year old active gay was executed in the city square. The passive gay was tortured and murdered by the Besiçs, the morals officers, outside the city. We demand that Iran stops the executions of LGBTT individuals and guarantees their fundamental rights and freedoms.
We won't stay quite towards these violences and discriminations!
Commission for Monitoring the Human Rights of LGBTT Individuals and Law
Kaos GL Associaiton
Kaos GL İzmir
Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Solidarity Associaiton
MorEl Eskisehir LGBTT
Pembe Hayat LGBTT Associaiton
