"We Will also Consider Complaints of Homosexuals"

On the occasion of the first meeting of the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission, Naci Bostancı, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy for Amasya, announced, "[The consideration of] violence must not be restricted to women only. Also complaints regarding same-sex unions and relations must be considered".

Bostancı, Vice President of the commission, drew attention to the background of violence against women and said that this had to be investigated. Regarding the limitation of considering violence within families only, Bostancı explained:

"There are different realities in life. Different models that do not meet these realities might occur in the process of social change. What are we doing in the commission when we receive an application regarding violence in an imam marriage? There are people who have been living together for five years, what do we do when they apply to us? There are same-sex relationships, are we going to ignore them? Or are we going to pursue an approach that is based on human rights? In my opinion, it is more appropriate to social reality to address violence in all sorts of relationships based on human rights".

In their report on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual individuals (LGBT) published in June 2011, Amnesty International (AI) quoted former Minister of Women and Family Affairs Selma Aliye Kavaf as saying, "Homosexuality is a biological disorder, a disease that has to be treated".

According to an official statement on the internet site of the commission, any individual who has experienced a violation of their basic rights and freedoms can apply to the commission by letter, fax or e-mail.

Commission joined by Independent MP Kürkçü

The first meeting of the commission in the new term took place on 13 October. It was decided to establish three sub-commissions regarding the investigation of violations of the right to life in prisons, violence against women and other family members and violence and terror.

The commission is chaired by Ayhan Sefer Üstün. Bostancı and Istanbul Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu of the Republican People's Party (CHP) are the vice presidents. AKP Ankara Deputy Yalçın Akdoğan is the spokesman, Kayseri MP of the National Movement Party (MHP) Yusuf Halaçoğlu is the new secretary.

With the entry of Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Independent MP for Mersin affiliated with the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the number of commission members increased to 21.

Other members are Mehmet Kerim Yıldız (AKP, Ağrı), Ülker Güzel (AKP, Ankara), Murat Yıldırım (AKP, Çorum), Oya Eronat (AKP, Diyarbakır), Erdal Kalkan (AKP, İzmir), Hamza Dağ (AKP, İzmir), Nevzat Pakdil (AKP, Maraş), Ahmet Salih Dal (AKP, Kilis), Kerim Özkul (AKP, Konya), Abdurrahim Akdağ (AKP, Mardin), İhsan Şener (AKP, Ordu), Cemal Yılmaz Demir (AKP, Samsun), Gülşen Orhan (AKP, Van), Levent Gök (CHP, Ankara), Refik Eryılmaz (CHP, Hatay), Mahmut Tanal (CHP, İstanbul), Malik Ecder Özdemir (CHP, Sivas), Hüseyin Aygün (CHP, Tunceli), Mustafa Erdem (MHP, Ankara) and Atilla Kaya (MHP, İstanbul). (AS/VK)