In the last of its annual progress reports on accession countries, the European Parliament evaluated the situation in Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, including the situation of LGBTI people. Earlier this year, the Parliament already evaluated progress in Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and FYR Macedonia. In its report on Turkey, parliament highlights its concerns with

Joint Statement: recent attacks on LGBTI people in Turkey

IGLYO, ILGA-Europe, ICRSE, SWAN & TGEU have written to the Turkish government to express their grave concern about the lack of a political response over recent attacks, discriminatory treatment and incitement to violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in Turkey. In particular, the groups denounce the ill-treatment Kemal Ördek, co-founder of the Red

Promising ECtHR decision on sterilisation requirement

Turkey violated the right to privacy of a trans man when national authorities refused access to gender reassignment surgery. In a European Court of Human Rights Chamber judgment released this morning (Tuesday 10 March 2015) the 7-judge panel confirmed that Turkey had breached the applicant’s rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

Turkey’s Democracy Reform Package fails LGBT citizens

At the end of last month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented a‘Democracy reform package’, including constitutional reforms, an anti-discrimination bill and a proposal for an amendment to hate crime and hate speech law. Unfortunately, the package leaves out measures that would protect LGBT people from violence and discrimination. Sexual orientation and gender identity

Landmark Turkish court ruling: Anti-gay language is not freedom of speech

Setting an important legal precedent, Istanbul’s Criminal Court on Monday issued a landmark ruling against a religious Turkish newspaper for its use of anti-gay language, saying it illegally offended LGBT people. The court also stated that such language is not within the scope of freedom expression or press. The court ruled that the newspaper be prosecuted