Turkey’s Health Ministry has dismissed a transgender doctor from a state hospital, citing alleged “indecent and disgraceful acts,” despite a prior court ruling ordering her reinstatement.
In a post on X, Dr. Larin Kayataş said the ministry had also filed a criminal complaint with the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, accusing her of “facilitating the publication of obscene material” and “publicly inciting hatred and enmity.”
Kayataş said a ministry inspector conducted a 10-month investigation prior to the criminal complaint, producing a 924-page report that included scrutiny of her private life and interviews with hospital staff.
The ministry had previously dismissed Kayataş in September 2021, citing her social media posts as contrary to public morals. Following her legal challenge, a Turkish court later ruled that her dismissal was unlawful, ordering her reinstatement and awarding her 20 months’ salary plus interest.
Kayataş said the dismissal was not merely administrative, describing it as “a violation of the right to work, systematic exclusion and institutional punishment.”
“This is clearly persecution,” she added.
She called for public support and said she would launch a solidarity campaign, including financial assistance, after being left unemployed.
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has increasingly portrayed LGBTQ+ visibility as a threat to public morality and family values. Government officials have for years restricted Pride marches and publicly targeted LGBTQ+ advocacy, portraying it as a threat to family values.
Turkey was ranked 47th out of 49 countries in the 2025 Rainbow Index, an annual assessment of LGBTQ+ rights published by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)-Europe, which placed it among the bottom five in Europe.
