EU - Turkey negotiations: LGBT perspective
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.
TURKEY, EUROPEAN UNION AND LGBT RIGHTS
Turkey has always been somewhere between the West and the East. Its culture includes both Western and Eastern values. These values sometimes clash with each other. A striking example of this clash is the struggle for human rights by Turkish lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). Providing solutions to the problems of the Turkish LGBT community will be one of the litmus tests for the future of the democracy in Turkey, as well as inclusion in the European Union.
There are reasons to be both optimistic and pessimistic regarding the fate of Turkish LGBT people.
Compared to some parts of the world, the LGBT movement in Turkey is still in its early stages. However one can easily notice that the Turkish LGBT movement is becoming more vocal and active. Especially since the 1990s, the momentum has been steadily increasing.
In 2005 there are two very active and vocal Turkish LGBT organizations:
Lambda Istanbul in Istanbul and Kaos GL in Ankara. There are also smaller LGBT groups established all over Turkey.
Despite these difficulties, the prospect of EU membership has had a tremendously positive impact to the daily lives of all Turkish people including the LGBT community. It is essential to remember that Turkey is the only country with a Muslim majority that provides hope when it comes to LGBT rights. In a report prepared by Kaos GL previously, it was found that there are only six Muslim countries in which being a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is legal and these countries are: Turkey, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. It is no coincidence that of these Turkey, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Azerbaijan have strong ties with the rest of European community.
It is hoped that the prospect of membership talks between Turkey and EU will continue to have a positive impact on the struggles of Turkish LGBT people. Kaos GL along with Lambda Istanbul are hoping that during the membership talks, the demands of the Turkish LGBT people will be taken into account in order to spread the values of democracy to every Turkish citizen.
What you read below was a part of a report prepared by KAOS GL for the Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights Meeting that took place in European Parliament on September 28, 2005. For more information about this meeting please refer to the Intergroup website.
Attached you may also find the full report of the report prepared by KAOS GL:
"LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) RIGHTS IN TURKEY, AN OVERVIEW OF ISSUES"
