Turkish authorities on Thursday shelved a draft bill criminalizing behavior deemed “contrary to biological sex and general morality,” LGBTQ+ activists said.
The provisions, which sparked outrage when announced, “are not included in a judicial reform package” submitted to parliament on Thursday, rights group Kaos GL said in a statement.
Yıldız Tar, a journalist and rights activist, said the legal crackdown was “postponed for now,” hailing those who had worked to defend “equality, freedom and justice.”
The proposed changes to the penal code would have allowed prosecutors to target individuals identifying as gay, bisexual or transgender and criminalize activities seen as “promoting” such identities, rights groups said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has Islamic roots, has repeatedly denounced LGBTQ+ individuals as “perverts,” accusing them of threatening family values and contributing to Turkey’s declining birthrate.
© Agence France-Presse
