A coalition of 160 civil society organizations in Turkey on Tuesday condemned the government’s plans for a new bill that would impose prison sentences on LGBTQ+ people and rights advocates.
The joint declaration, issued under the title “Side by Side for Equality,” called on lawmakers not to introduce or adopt any legislation that would “declare LGBTQ+ people and rights defenders to be criminals.”
The declaration described the reported bill as part of what it called more than a decade of policies resulting in human rights violations. It cited ongoing prosecutions against leaders of the May 17 Association (17 Mayıs Derneği) and managers of the Young LGBTI+ Association (Genç LGBTİ+ Derneği), as well as a court decision ordering the closure of the latter. The statement also referred to cases in which authorities limited LGBTQ+ expressions under obscenity laws and to arrests following social media posts.
In the statement the organizations said they would continue to defend what they described as the right of everyone to live “a dignified, free and safe life.”
Turkey’s justice ministry is drafting legislation that would introduce prison sentences for publicly promoting or praising LGBT identity, criminalize same-sex engagement and wedding ceremonies and impose stricter limits on gender transition.
Under the draft, anyone who “encourages or promotes attitudes contrary to biological sex and general morality” could face one to three years in prison, a provision critics say would effectively target LGBT advocacy and expression. Participating in a same-sex engagement or wedding ceremony could carry a sentence of one-and-a-half to four years.
Doctors who perform gender transition procedures without court authorization would face three to seven years in prison, with harsher penalties if the patient is a minor or the provider is unlicensed. Individuals who undergo unauthorized procedures could also face time in prison.
The proposal would also make legal gender change significantly more difficult. It would raise the minimum age from 18 to 25, require applicants to be unmarried and mandate four separate medical evaluations at state-approved hospitals over the period of at least a year.
Signatories include the May 17 Association (17 Mayıs Derneği), Kaos GL Association (Kaos GL Derneği), Lambdaistanbul LGBTI+ Solidarity Association (Lambdaistanbul LGBTİ Dayanışma Derneği), the Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), along with numerous bar associations, women’s organizations and labor unions across the country.
