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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan targeted LGBTI+s and western countries in a speech today (November 28) at a gathering of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in İstanbul.
Erdoğan described the "imposition of LGBT" as a "global dictatorship tool" that threatens Islamic values.
"Today, anti-Islamism is one of Western politicians' most frequently used tools to gather votes or cover up their failures," he remarked at the opening of the 38th Meeting of the Standing Committee for the OIC's Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC).
"Those who talk big about democracy and freedoms do not hesitate to implement the most fascist practices regarding the rights of Muslims, especially Muslim women."
The president lashed out at European countries' headscarf regulations, which he called a "new form of racism."
"The unlawful restrictions on headscarves in school, work life, and public spaces in some European countries are the most striking examples of this.
"The imposition of LGBT, which has become a global dictatorship tool, is another threat that aims to weaken both the institution of the family and Islamic values.
"No matter how you put it, interfering with belief through violence, to dictate one's own way of life, is a form of resurrecting the spirit of the medieval inquisition.
"Without a doubt, this fascist wave affects Muslims and other non-Muslims of different languages and cultures.
"It is essential to strengthen solidarity within our organization to fight against this new form of racism."
Discrimination against LGBTI+s
A recent EU Commission report stated that Türkiye's anti-discrimination legislation does not meet European standards and indicates severe concerns about the human rights of LGBTI+s.
There is neither legislation to combat hate speech nor regulations on hate crimes on sexual orientation and gender identity in Türkiye.
Türkiye is the second-worst country for LGBTI+s in Europe, according to the Rainbow Index of ILGA, an LGBTI+ rights group.
Elected and appointed state officials increasingly target LGBTI+s. In recent months, Erdoğan has frequently called LGBTI+ as opposed to the country's values and degrading the family structure.
His Justice and Development Party (AKP) has also prepared an amendment to the constitution to guarantee women's right to wear a headscarf and to protect "the family institution," which is anticipated as an anti-LGBTI+ move.
Starting in September in İstanbul, anti-LGBTI+ rallies have been held in several cities across Türkiye. Some AKP politicians openly supported them. (TY/WM/VK)
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