‘Our trans lives are valuable’: Rights groups to protest mounting hate attacks in İzmir

"Trans women exist"

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Young LGBTI+ Association and the İzmir-based LGBTI+ and human rights organizations will protest the mounting attacks against trans women.

As reported by KaosGL, in the face of recent hate attacks and murders targeting trans women in Turkey's Aegean province of İzmir in the past two months, rights groups will hold a statement for the press in front og the Türkan Saylan Cultural Center on January 28 at 6 pm. 

Under the motto "Our trans lives are valuable," the rights groups have called on everyone to protest and struggle against hate.

Hate attacks in İzmir

Especially İzmir Bornova Street has witnessed several attacks targeting trans women in recent periods. While two trans women have been killed in three months, three trans women have also been seriously injured in this period. Most recently, a group of four men, at the night of January 17, attacked transgender sex workers by using sticks with nails.

In November 2021, three transphobic hate attacks occurred in İzmir in a week. On November 20, a man attacked two trans women an hour apart. They were severely injured. A week later, on November 27, trans woman Berrak was killed in the attack in front of the Basmane train station.

In a recent incident, Günay Özyıldız was stabbed to death at the entrance to her house in İzmir's Karabağlar district. An inquiry has been reportedly launched into the killing of the 48-year-old trans woman. (EMK/SD)