Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Organization (KAOS GL) sued the newspaper Vakit for damages for publishing an article titled “Üskül’s choice is for the perverts.”
The organization also made a criminal complaint to Ankara Public Prosecutor about Serdar Arseven with the intention of filing a libel suit.
Invitation by Kaos GL to the criminal complaint
Zafer Üskül, a Justice and Development Party deputy from Mersin, which is in southern section of the Mediterranean region of Turkey, was at the “3rd International Meeting Against Homophobia” event organized by KAOS GL between the dates May 13 and 19.
Prof. Dr. Üskül, who is also the head of the Human Rights Committee in the Parliament, had said in the opening speech of the event that “human beings must not be discriminated because of their sexual preferences.”
On May 21, the newspaper Vakit had published Üskül’s participation as “his choice is for the perverts” and one of the columnists of the newspaper, Arseven, had written an article titled “An AK Party member who gives assurance to transsexuals.” Kaos GL made the following announcement about its criminal report:
“Üskül said that as someone whose responsibility is to protect the rights of all, it was the correct decision for him to participate in the meeting and that ‘there cannot be a hierarchy in equality.’ He also added that ‘The freedoms should be taken as a whole.’ Defamation directed at Üskül is an indication of intolerance towards the most basic human rights.”
Stating that Üskül is being targeted, the organization asked everyone to make a criminal report against these attacks.
KAOS GL was founded in September, 1994, to unite Turkey's homosexuals in the struggle against discrimination. The group's underlying philosophy is that the liberation of homosexuals will also free heterosexuals. KAOS GL has been publishing the journal KAOS GL (now a quarterly) since it was founded, and it briefly published a monthly newspaper, PARMAK (Finger), in 2001. The group owns the KAOS Cultural Center, in which many cultural activities, meetings and film shows are held and where the first LGBT library was built. (BÇ/EZÖ/TB)
