Anti-LGBTI+ rallies continue across Türkiye as Erdoğan pushes for constitutional amendment

Photo: AA

An anti-LGBTI+ rally was held yesterday (November 6) in İzmir, western Türkiye, in what was the fifth such event across different cities in the last two months.

Hundreds of people gathered in Konak Square, displaying placards with messages such as, "We won't allow those who wage a war against the family," and "the family is the foundation of our civilization," the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

Rector of İzmir Katip Çelebi University, Prof. Dr. Saffet Köse also spoke at the rally, saying that the rally was held against "international rallies that impose sexless people, societies without families and unnatural relationships."

The first one of the "Great Family Meetings" was held on September 18 in İstanbul. It was followed by rallies in the capital city of Ankara, Konya and Urfa last month. More than 150 NGOs have reportedly announced support for the rallies.

"We existed and will exist"

Later in the day, members of several LGBTI+ groups, political parties and NGOs gathered in İzmir's Alsancak district, denouncing the anti-LGBTI+ rally.

The crowd chanted slogans like, "We existed and we will exist" and "We don't stay silent, we are not afraid, we don't obey."

Reading out a statement, they said, "We know this hateful politics, through which the binary sexist, heterosexist, misogynic and male ruling power creates polarization from Nazi Germany, Türkiye of the '90s ... and increasing anti-LGBTI+ practices al across the world."

By targeting the LGBTI+s right to life, yesterday's meeting violated the Constitution and international agreements, they said.

Family members of LGBTI+s also spoke at the demonstration. One of them said, "They call themselves strong families. They say our children will harm the family institution ... Are we weak? Of course not. We get our strength from love ... We will continue to stand by our children in every circumstance. They are neither wrong nor alone."

Erdoğan's amendment proposal

Meanwhile, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his intention to amend the Constitution with provisions to "protect the family."

"Strong family creates a strong nation. Weak family weakens the nation," he said yesterday during an event titled "On the Road to Great Türkiye with Women" in the southern city of Antep.

"With the latest constitutional amendment that we are preparing to propose, we will have put another barrier in front of the threats against our family institution and human nature," he remarked.

While the president did not give further details about the proposal they were preparing, he has mentioned it together with anti-LGBTI+ remarks recently.

He first brought up the idea in response to a law proposal from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in early October to "guarantee women's right to wear a headscarf in the public sector."

He instead suggested amending the Constitution in a way that includes both the headscarf issue and "strengthening the family institution."

CLICK - AKP to outbid opposition's 'headscarf bill' to propose anti-LGBTI+ amendment to Constitution 

The AKP and its allies do not have the required number of seats in the parliament to amend the Constitution, but they can put their proposal to a referendum.

Senior government officials in Türkiye have increasingly been vocal against LGBTI+ rights over the past years.

Türkiye has been the second-worst country in ILGA Europe's Rainbow Index for the last four years. (VK)