14 LGBTI Organizations from 8 Provinces: ‘Our Only Choice is Social Peace, Equality, Freedom, Justice’

Click to read the article in Kurdish / Turkish

14 LGBTI organizations from Ankara, Bursa, Çanakkale, Diyarbakır, Giresun, İstanbul, İzmir and Mersin have published a joint statement on the recent oppressions against the press and politicians.

Drawing attention to the operations against Cumhuriyet daily, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the arrests and the media outlets closed in Statutory Decrees, LGBTI organizations have stated;

“Without buts, we have defended human rights during our organized struggle for over 20 years. We have underlined that his system had to change, which has been trying to wipe off all ethnical, cultural, religious and sex differences and make us all similar to each other.  

“Press freedom and being able to do politics freely are irreplaceable for democracy. Anti-democratic and oppressive practices, arrests, torture, trustee appointments and newspaper closures threaten us all. Social peace, equality, freedom and justice are our only choice.

“We will continue our fight against those who want to fade our colors. We demand that custodies and arrests come to an end immediately”.

Signee organizations: Çanakkale LGBTI Inıtiative, Flu Baykuş, Genç LGBTI+ (Young LGBTI+), Gökkuşağı Giresun (Rainbow Giresun), Hêvî LGBTI Foundation, İstanbul LGBTI Solidarity Foundation, Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association (Kaos GL), Keskesor Amed LGBTI, Lambdaistanbul LGBTI Solidarity Foundation, Families and Friends of LGBTI’s in Turkey  (LİSTAG), Mersin 7 Colors LGBTI, Free Colors LGBTI Foundation, Pink Life Association,  Social Policies Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD). (ÇT/DG)