A senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for “strong and determined” legislation against public advocacy of LGBTI+ rights after criticizing a banner displayed on the İstanbul Bar Association’s headquarters.
The banner, which read “LGBTI+ rights are human rights,” was hung on the facade of the bar association’s headquarters on Sunday in support of Pride Month.
In a post on X Oktay Saral accused the bar association of serving as a vehicle for ideological propaganda and undermining the impartiality expected of bar associations.
Saral said the banner disregarded “the values of society” and reflected “a despicable ideological preference” rather than legal responsibility. Calling the display a provocative act, he said the time had come to remove such debates from Turkey’s agenda through “strong and determined” regulations based on what he called the nation’s sensitivities.
The banner also attracted criticism from Mustafa Destici, leader of the far-right Great Unity Party (BBP) and an ally of Erdoğan, who accused the bar association of defending “perversion” under the guise of human rights and individual freedoms.
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has increasingly portrayed LGBTI+ visibility as a threat to public morality and family values, while authorities have for years restricted Pride marches and publicly targeted LGBTI+ advocacy.
Days before the start of the 34th İstanbul Pride Week, Turkey blocked access to 57 X accounts belonging to women’s and LGBTI+ rights organizations and activists, citing national security and public order concerns.
Turkey was ranked 47th out of 49 countries in the 2025 Rainbow Index, an annual assessment of LGBTI+ rights published by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)-Europe, which placed it among the bottom five in Europe.
