Journalists urge end of restrictions on Pride Month events

Click to read the article in Turkish

Releasing a joint statement on the occassion of the Pride Month, 154 journalists have expressed their criticism of incidents of police violence and bans targeting the LGBTI+ community.

The journalists emphasized their commitment to "documenting the struggle for freedom rather than the perpetuation of violence during LGBTI+ Pride Marches."

The journalists also underscore the impact of these restrictions on their own professional experiences, as they have also suffered violence in Pride March areas, urging the authorities to cease violating the freedom of expression and organization of LGBTI+s, and to provide an environment where journalists can carry out their work unhindered.

"We no longer want to report on more violence and bans against LGBTI+s!" says the statement.

"As soon as LGBTI+ Pride Month began, bans on activities and marches of LGBTI+s followed. As journalists, we are forced to report on new incidents of police violence and detentions every day. However, we want to write, capture, and publish the voices and words of LGBTI+s. We want to document the struggle for freedom, not violence, during LGBTI+ Pride Marches.

"We do not consent to this growing hostility in politics during the election process. The violence that we, as journalists, have also become victims of in Pride Parade areas directly threatens social peace.

"We no longer want to report on violence and bans against LGBTI+s! We call on the authorities: Stop violating the freedom of expression and organization of LGBTI+s. Let us do our job, write, draw.

"Happy LGBTI+ Pride Month!"

Turkey, which has enforced a ban on pride marches since 2015 and restricted most events associated with Pride Month, has witnessed a troubling surge in anti-LGBTI rhetoric by government officials in recent years.

According to the ILGA Europe Rainbow Index, Turkey ranks as the second-worst country for LGBTI+s, surpassing only Azerbaijan.

Names of the journalists who undersigned the statement:

1. Ahmet Ayva

2. Ahmet Kanbal

3. Ahmet Tirej Kaya

4. Alev Karakartal

5. Ali Kadir Güler

6. Andres Mourenza

7. Arzu Demir

8. Aslı Alpar

9. Aslı Ceren Aslan

10. Avşin Leyla Özgür

11. Ayşegül Özbek

12. Ayşen Güven

13. Ayşenur Dilan Karademir

14. Bahadır Özgür

15. Berivan Altan

16. Berkant Gültekin

17. Beyza Kural

18. Burcu Göknar

19. Canan Coşkun

20. Candan Yıldız

21. Cansu Acar

22. Cansu Erginkoç

23. Céline Pierre-Magnani

24. Cem Gurbetoğlu

25. Cengiz Aldemir

26. Cengiz Anıl Bölükbaş

27. Ceren Bala Teke

28. Ceren Bayar

29. Ceren İskit

30. Ceylan Sağlam

31. Cihan Ölmez

32. Çilem Küçükkeleş

33. Damla Tarhan Durmuş

34. Denizcan Abay

35. Derya Kap

36. Derya Okatan

37. Derya Saadet

38. Devrim Fındık

39. Devrim Orhan Koç

40. Didem Aslan Çetin

41. Dila Ak

42. Dilan Pamuk

43. Dilan Şimşek

44. Dilek Sarıgül

45. Dilek Şen

46. Diren Keser

47. Ece Aydın

48. Ece Toksabay

49. Eda Narin

50. Edanur Tanış

51. Elif Akgül

52. Elifnaz Ay

53. Emel Vural

54. Emre Caka

55. Emre Ünsallı

56. Erdoğan Alayumat

57. Ertürk Yılmaz

58. Esen Dolma

59. Esra Üşüdür

60. Evrim Kepenek

61. Eylem Esen Arabacı

62. Eylem Nazlıer

63. Eylül Deniz Yaşar

64. Fatih Aça

65. Fatma Yörür

66. Fedai Karakeçili

67. Fırat Can Arslan

68. Gamze Rastgeldi

69. Gamzegül Kızılcık Aykanat

70. Gökay Başcan

71. Gözde Çağrı Özköse

72. Gözde Demirbilek

73. Günsu Durak

74. Hale Gönültaş

75. Harun Arslan

76. Hayri Tunç

77. İlknur Karadeniz

78. İrfan Tuncçelik

79. İsmail Arı

80. Kaan Çeltik

81. Kadir Güney

82. Karin Karakaşlı

83. Kemal Avcı

84. Kerim Eren

85. Kültigin Kağan Akbulut

86. Leyla Alp

87. M. İrem Afşin

88. Mahir Bağış

89. Mehmet Emin Kurnaz

90. Melisa Ay

91. Meltem Akyol

92. Meltem İnci

93. Meltem Ulusoy

94. Mert Cengiz

95. Merve Güven

96. Metin Yoksu

97. Mevsim Altay

98. Mühdan Sağlam

99. Murat Kocabaş

100. Mustafa Kara

101. Mustafa Kömüş

102. Mustafa Kuleli

103. Nazlan Ertan

104. Necdet Oktay Apaydın

105. Nedim Türfent

106. Nevin Sungur

107. Nida Kara

108. Nisanur Yıldırım

109. Nurcan Gökdemir

110. Oğulcan Özgenç

111. Okan Yücel

112. Oktay ince

113. Ozan Kaplanoğlu

114. Ozan Ünlükoç

115. Özgür Şengül

116. Özgür Söylemez

117. Özlem Akarsu Çelik

118. Özlem Ateş

119. Pınar Erol

120. Pınar Gayıp

121. Rahmi Yıldırım

122. Rıza Yalçın Koçak

123. Rozerin Tek

124. Ruken Tuncel

125. Sabiha Temizkan

126. Seçil Epik

127. Seda Öz

128. Selahattin Oğuz

129. Selma Koçak

130. Serpil Ünal

131. Serra Akcan

132. Sevgim Denizaltı

133. Sibel Tekin

134. Sibel Yükler

135. Sinem Uğurlu

136. Songül Karadeniz

137. Sultan Eylem Keleş

138. Suzan Demir

139. Tanju Tariz

140. Tolga Balcı

141. Tugay Can

142. Tuğçe Yılmaz

143. Tuğrul Eryılmaz

144. Uğur Şahin

145. Vedat Yeler

146. Yadigar Aygün

147. Yasin Durak

148. Yeşim Dokur

149. Yıldız Tar

150. Yüsra Batıhan

151. Yusuf Belek

152. Yusuf Çakmak

153. Yusuf Tuna Koç

154. Zeynep Kuray

(EMK/VK)