According to a report by the pro-government daily Türkiye, a draft bill prepared by the Justice Ministry includes a proposal to raise the minimum age for gender affirmation surgeries from 18 to 25. The draft also foresees prison sentences ranging from one to three years for those who engage in or publicly promote, praise, or encourage behavior deemed “contrary to public morality.”
Following the report, 15 LGBTI+ organizations issued a joint statement, saying, “The government is now attempting to do through a standalone law what it couldn’t achieve through judicial reform packages.”
LGBTI+ rights advocates Evin and Rodi, based in Diyarbakır and Ankara respectively, shared their reactions and thoughts with bianet regarding the draft law.
“This proposal goes beyond a legal regulation. It is a political intervention aimed at erasing LGBTI+s from public space,” said Evin, and continued:
“I can’t deny that I’m anxious. The mere possibility of becoming a target just for walking down the street, touching a friend’s shoulder, or standing next to someone I love weighs heavily on me. This is not just a legal threat. It also creates an atmosphere that undermines the feelings of love, belonging, and safety. But I believe fear will not isolate us—it will lead us to build stronger solidarity.
“LGBTI+ existence carries a legacy of resistance that grows stronger under oppression. I am part of that legacy. Yes, the fear is real, but we will not back down. Homophobia and transphobia are not merely personal prejudices. They are forms of structural violence perpetuated by state policy, media discourse, and the patriarchal order. That’s why our fight cannot be individual, it must be collective. I don’t see any other solution than collective struggle. We must strive to live, and in doing so, we must remember we are never alone. What we need today is not isolation, but organization; not retreat, but growing solidarity; not surrendering to fear, but taking braver steps.”
‘True liberation is in staying and resisting’
“Even if this draft is just a proposal for now, similar provisions were included in the 10th and 11th Judicial Packages and were withdrawn due to public pressure. If this law passes, it will seriously affect our lives. It will become even harder to exist as ourselves in social spaces,” Rodi said, and added:
“In 2026 Turkey, a significant number of people still see being LGBTI+ as an ‘illness’ or attribute it to psychological reasons. The state already has policies in this direction. If this law is enacted, it will do more than introduce new legal measures—it will empower homophobic and transphobic segments of society. There are countless people who have been rejected by their families and friends just for being gay. Many have moved to different cities or even left the country. But true liberation doesn’t lie in leaving—it lies in staying and resisting. That’s what I believe.
“We need more panels and trainings in Turkey that address homophobia and transphobia. And finally, we have never existed by anyone’s permission, and we will not disappear because of the laws they impose. We were here, we are here, and we will continue to be here.” (YAH/TY)
