Joint letter to UN: Take urgent action for LGBTI+ rights in Turkey

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The constituents of the Solidarity Network of Human Rights Defenders – Turkey have addressed a joint letter to the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteurs, urging them to take action for the LGBTI+ rights in Turkey.

Expressing "grave concern" regarding the rise of hateful discourse against the LGBTI+s in Turkey, including hate speech and discrimination from senior public officials and political institutions, rights defenders have urged the UN authorities to take urgent action agains these violations.

"Recent events form part of a series of systematic attacks against LGBTI+ people, fuelling an atmosphere of violence and intolerance," the letter has read and added, "This constitutes a violation of Turkey's obligations under domestic and international law, which guarantee the rights and freedoms of all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."

Before listing recommendations about what the UN Rapporteurs are expected to do about these violations, the letter has first shared detailed information as to the recent incidents and the domestic and international laws that Turkey are obligated to abide by to protect the rights of LGBTI+s.

Some of these recent incidents have been listed as follows:

'Hate speech, discrimination by senior state officials'

"The statements of public officials have continued to perpetuate the atmosphere of discrimination and hate towards LGBTI+ people in Turkey.

"During a sermon on 24 April 2020, Ali Erbaş, the head of Directorate for Religious Affairs, continued his and his institution's policy marginalising and targeting LGBTI+ and stated that homosexuality "causes illnesses and withers the generation." (...) His statement appeared to insinuate that LGBTI+ people were to blame for the spread of COVID-19, endangering the safe and non-discriminatory access of LGBTI+ people to medical care and further stigmatising them and those living with HIV.

"In addition to this, several leaders publicly defended Erbaş's statements, including the Justice Minister and President Erdoğan, who stated that an attack on the Dictorate "is an attack on the State and on Islam."

"The hateful and discriminatory rhetoric against the LGBTI+ community has increased with the concision of Pride celebrations in Turkey.

"On 28 June, the Chair for Turkish Red Crescent and Vice-President of International Federation of the Red Cross Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Kerem Kınık, stated, "[W]e will not let them [LGBTI+] violate the dignity of humanity. We will protect what is natural and the mental health of our children. We will fight whoever disrupts healthy creation and shows abnormal things as normal with the power of communication and inserts paedophilic dreams to the young minds as modernity."

"The IFRC condemned his statements as wrong and offensive and stated that they are assessing their next course of action. However, Kınık continued to defend his comments as being in line with the values of the IFRC and was publicly supported by several Government officials.

"The public statements have fueled a discriminative discourse against the LGBTI+ community on social media.

"For example, in the month of June 2020 hashtags demanding the prohibition of LGBTI+ activities and a boycott of Turkish companies who expressed solidarity with global Pride Day were trending on Twitter.

"The use of the hashtag #YallahHollandaya ("go to Holland"), which has become a popular homophobic slur in Turkey. Additionally, the hashtag #DecathlonBoykot ("Boycott Decathlon") was trending on Twitter after the retailer posted support for Pride month on social media.

"However, other brands, such as the large retail brand LC Waikiki, prohibited the use of symbols associated with the LGBTI+ movement, such as rainbows and unicorns. 50 associations and foundations released a joint statement calling for a boycott of the brands supporting the pride and LGBTI+ rights."

'Remind the government of its duty under the law'

Within this context, the following recommendations have been made to the UN about what can be done to prevent these violations:

"We request the Special Rapporteurs to remind the Turkish Government of its duty under international and domestic law to protect the dignity of all human beings and respect the equal rights of all citizens.

"We further request Special Rapporteurs to urge Turkish Government, its public officials and other high-profile political and religious individuals, to uphold their obligations to protect rights and freedoms of all individuals without discrimination against sexual orientation or gender identity.

"We request the Special Rapporteurs to remind the Turkish Government, its public officials and other high-profile political and religious individuals of their duty under international law to refrain from making statements which may incite intolerance or pose a present risk of violence.

"We request that the Special Rapporteurs urge the Turkish Government to amend its Constitution to include explicit provision for sexual orientation and gender identity under Article 10 and introduce domestic legislation in line with its international obligations, explicitly protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBTI+ people without discrimination."

Addressees of the letter:

Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression; Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism

Signatories:

Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project, Civil Rights Defenders, Association for Monitoring Equal Rights, Truth Justice Memory Center, Kaos GL, London Legal Group, Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), Association of Lawyers for Freedom, P24, Research Institute on Turkey, SPoD, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), Life Memory Freedom Association, Citizens Assembly. (TP/SD)

Click here to read the full letter