More than 450 civil society organizations from 65 countries have called on Turkey to end what they described as the criminalization of the LGBTI+ movement and release people detained solely for human rights work,.
In a joint statement titled “Stop the Criminalisation of the LGBTI+ Movement in Turkey,” the groups said human rights advocacy, publishing, organizing, membership, donations, fundraising and lawful domestic or international funding should not be treated as evidence of criminal activity and called for an end to raids and online restrictions targeting LGBTI+ organizations and human rights defenders.
The statement, published by Turkey-based Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR), was signed by organizations including the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), CIVICUS, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA), PEN Norway and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). CIVICUS is a global alliance of civil society organizations and activists.
The groups objected to what they described as the use of organized-crime provisions and broadly defined concepts such as “obscenity,” “morality” and “family” to criminalize LGBTI+ identities, visibility and advocacy.
The appeal follows a nationwide operation that began September 13 with police raids on LGBTI+ organizations, activists’ homes, gay bars and nightclubs, a day after Turkish authorities restricted access to social media accounts belonging to more than a dozen groups.
Organizations targeted in the investigations include the Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association (Kaos GL), the Families and Friends of LGBTI+ People Association (LİSTAG) and the Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD), as well as several other LGBTI+ and HIV-related groups.
According to Turkish media, 116 people had been detained in the raids and 82 were jailed pending trial. The cases include LGBTI+ activists and members of rights organizations as well as people accused of prostitution, drug offenses and other crimes, meaning not everyone detained or jailed in the operation was accused of activity connected to LGBTI+ advocacy.
