Amnesty International to Turkey: Protect LGBT Rights

Human rights organization Amnesty International has called on Turkey to adopt laws protecting LGBT people against discrimination and violence, which according to Amnesty are widespread in the nation.

Amnesty made the call in a report issued Tuesday, titled "'Not an Illness nor a Crime': Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Turkey Demand Equality." The report highlights the abuses of LGBT people in the country, such as a gay man being shot to death in what many believe to be an "honor killing" arranged by his family to save face; violence against transgender people, who often find that sex work is the only employment available to them and then face danger from their clients and hostility from police; and harassment of gays in military service, which is compulsory for Turkish men. Many crimes against LGBT people receive insufficient investigation by law enforcement, and government authorities frequently seek to prevent gay organizations from meeting.

Amnesty urged Turkey's newly elected parliament to take a strong stand against such persecution. "Homophobic statements by government officials have encouraged discrimination against individuals," Andrew Gardner, the group's researcher on Turkey, said in a press release. "Rather than repeat past failures, the new government must respect and protect their rights through words and actions."

He added, "It is the responsibility of all the parties in the parliament to ensure that any new constitutional settlement in Turkey outlaws discrimination on grounds of sexuality or gender identity. Comprehensive legislation to counter discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity is a must -- and it should come as soon as possible. However, the authorities must also show the political will to combat discrimination by demonstrating that homophobic public discourse is unacceptable.

"Furthermore, LGBT solidarity associations need protection and respect. Now is the time for political figures to come forward and speak openly in support of them."

The press release and a PDF of the full report are available here.