LET’S DON’T BE SILENT AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY!
News Letter for “Monitoring the Human Rights and Law” Commission of LGBTT Individuals
July 2007
LET’S DON’T BE SILENT AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS!
Homosexual organizations in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir are recording the human rights violations that gay, lesbian, drag, transsexual individuals are facing. The organizations are calling out to LGBTT individuals who are subject to discrimination and violence.
Up until now, homosexual individuals solely have got into contact with homosexual organizations when they were subjected to any kind of discrimination and violence. However, the organizations either couldn’t record this information regularly or they recorded them missing the important points that secure data within the “circle of case”. They couldn’t go back to the records later and follow the process, neither.
While homosexual organizations giving voice that they struggle in the fields of human rights, they generally give ordinary and memorized answers to the violations that homosexual individuals are facing and also turn off the questions like “ how many violations were faced by them last year and how was the distribution of violations?” “which right is abused the most? ” Besides, the other human rights organizations haven’t been interested in homosexual victims systematically and they haven’t utilized the human rights mechanisms effectively concerning their problems.
Taking into account all these deficiencies and needs, the organizations like Kaos GL, Kaos GL Izmir, Pembe Hayat( Pink Life) and Lambdaistanbul started to work together at the Project called “ Efficient Utilization of the Human Rights Mechanisms for the LGBTT Individuals” . By the help of this project, that is prepared to solving all these problems, by raising the capacity of homosexual organizations, it is aimed to provide them utilize the national and international human rights mechanisms efficiently and to fetter, monitor and report the violations against homosexual individuals.
Kaos GL and Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT organization in Ankara, Kaos GL Izmir organization in Izmir and Lambdaistanbul LGBTT organization in İstanbul call for homosexual individuals to tell( ?) the human rights violations that are living.
OUR FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION CAN NOT BE HINDERED
As LGBTT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Drag, Transsexual) individuals, our rights are being violated in every field of our lives and we are subjected to discrimination. However, when we want to struggle against these human rights abuses and discrimination our organization is wanted to be hindered. There are bureaucratic, institutional and social difficulties over against the LGBTT individuals’ organization at associations. These obstacles have to be removed.
We think that, violations towards the LGBBT organizations that are occurred against the freedom of thought, expression and association in May are important as for the displaying of LGBTT individuals’ problems in the field of human rights. For a democratic and free world, we demand the elimination of all barriers against the freedom of association.
• When we want to form an association as homosexuals, they want to hinder us with the article “it can not be formed an association contrary to the law and morals” laying before us. By the refusal of closing case by office of the director of public prosecutions, Kaos GL completed its organization process. However, Lambdaistanbul and Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT provident societies that apply for being association with the same statutes faced with obstructive attitudes of Ankara and Istanbul governorships. After the filing to associations desk, both of the desks by filing a paper to the office of the public prosecutor demanded the closure of these two associations.
Directory of Public Prosecutions of Ankara and Istanbul again refused the file of associations desk by reason of these associations haven’t been impedimenting contradiction to law and morals. But, associations desks of Ankara and Istanbul governorships by disputing this decision, resorted to the court above. The fifth assize court in Istanbul decided to file a suit. Now, Lambdaistanbul LGBTT provident society, that has been struggled for the rights of homosexuals, is wanted to be closed. Our association can’t be closed. Our freedom of association can not be hindered
• On the other hand, Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT provident society due to organizing general meeting as acting in accordance with the decision of Directory of Public Prosecutions chairman was imposed to a money penalty of 498 YTL by the reason of “organizing general meeting before its legal time”. attitude that is punitive and restricting the freedoms in the direction of how a NGO to be organized, isn’t democratic, but is obstructive for the development of civil society. We protest this attitude. We condemn the non-civil interventions against civil society.
• On 15 May 2007 it is gone to Esat Police Station to make press statement in the protesting the arbitrary custody, bad treatment and letting of unjust money penalties using the criminal law as a reason against drags and transsexuals of Esat Police Station. But by the policemen who are in duty at Esat Police Station the press statement was tried to be hindered. In view of press, the members of Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT provident society were subjected to bad treatment and torture. We will not permit the disturbance of our freedom of thought, expression, and association. We will continue to out the human rights abuses and to struggle in field of human rights of homosexuals.
• Türk Egitimsen Hatay Dortyol Branch made a criminal complaint about LGBT Student Club of Istanbul Bilgi University by reason of it gives permission to the organization of homosexual students. Also, Higher Education Council (YOK) opened an inquiry against Istanbul Bilgi University and demand a defence. We condemn this attempt against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, drag and transsexual individuals’s freedom of association.
• The access to the internet web sites of Kaos GL, Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) and Lambdaistanbul association is blocked from the all computers within the campus of Anadolu University in Eskisehir. Univesity students are faced with a warning “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Interest” or “Adult Content” together with a bording “The Access to This Web Site is Blocked”. This blockage is a human right violation against the LGBTT individuals’s freedom of thought, expression and association. We protest this position that we are subjected to and this frustration against the lgbtt indiviuals’s freedom of expression, information and communication due to nothing but we are lesbians, gays, bisexuals, drags, transsexuals!
The efforts for frustration against the organization of LGBTT individuals are discrimination and is an attack against the freedom of association.
We will not be silent against these attacks.
Monitoring the Human Rights and Law Commission” of LGBTT Individuals
Kaos GL Association
Kaos GL Izmir
Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Provident Society
MorEl ( PurpleHand) Eskisehir LGBTT İnitiative
Pembe Hayat LGBTT Association
July 2007
LET’S DON’T BE SILENT AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS!
Homosexual organizations in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir are recording the human rights violations that gay, lesbian, drag, transsexual individuals are facing. The organizations are calling out to LGBTT individuals who are subject to discrimination and violence.
Up until now, homosexual individuals solely have got into contact with homosexual organizations when they were subjected to any kind of discrimination and violence. However, the organizations either couldn’t record this information regularly or they recorded them missing the important points that secure data within the “circle of case”. They couldn’t go back to the records later and follow the process, neither.
While homosexual organizations giving voice that they struggle in the fields of human rights, they generally give ordinary and memorized answers to the violations that homosexual individuals are facing and also turn off the questions like “ how many violations were faced by them last year and how was the distribution of violations?” “which right is abused the most? ” Besides, the other human rights organizations haven’t been interested in homosexual victims systematically and they haven’t utilized the human rights mechanisms effectively concerning their problems.
Taking into account all these deficiencies and needs, the organizations like Kaos GL, Kaos GL Izmir, Pembe Hayat( Pink Life) and Lambdaistanbul started to work together at the Project called “ Efficient Utilization of the Human Rights Mechanisms for the LGBTT Individuals” . By the help of this project, that is prepared to solving all these problems, by raising the capacity of homosexual organizations, it is aimed to provide them utilize the national and international human rights mechanisms efficiently and to fetter, monitor and report the violations against homosexual individuals.
Kaos GL and Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT organization in Ankara, Kaos GL Izmir organization in Izmir and Lambdaistanbul LGBTT organization in İstanbul call for homosexual individuals to tell( ?) the human rights violations that are living.
OUR FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION CAN NOT BE HINDERED
As LGBTT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Drag, Transsexual) individuals, our rights are being violated in every field of our lives and we are subjected to discrimination. However, when we want to struggle against these human rights abuses and discrimination our organization is wanted to be hindered. There are bureaucratic, institutional and social difficulties over against the LGBTT individuals’ organization at associations. These obstacles have to be removed.
We think that, violations towards the LGBBT organizations that are occurred against the freedom of thought, expression and association in May are important as for the displaying of LGBTT individuals’ problems in the field of human rights. For a democratic and free world, we demand the elimination of all barriers against the freedom of association.
• When we want to form an association as homosexuals, they want to hinder us with the article “it can not be formed an association contrary to the law and morals” laying before us. By the refusal of closing case by office of the director of public prosecutions, Kaos GL completed its organization process. However, Lambdaistanbul and Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT provident societies that apply for being association with the same statutes faced with obstructive attitudes of Ankara and Istanbul governorships. After the filing to associations desk, both of the desks by filing a paper to the office of the public prosecutor demanded the closure of these two associations.
Directory of Public Prosecutions of Ankara and Istanbul again refused the file of associations desk by reason of these associations haven’t been impedimenting contradiction to law and morals. But, associations desks of Ankara and Istanbul governorships by disputing this decision, resorted to the court above. The fifth assize court in Istanbul decided to file a suit. Now, Lambdaistanbul LGBTT provident society, that has been struggled for the rights of homosexuals, is wanted to be closed. Our association can’t be closed. Our freedom of association can not be hindered
• On the other hand, Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT provident society due to organizing general meeting as acting in accordance with the decision of Directory of Public Prosecutions chairman was imposed to a money penalty of 498 YTL by the reason of “organizing general meeting before its legal time”. attitude that is punitive and restricting the freedoms in the direction of how a NGO to be organized, isn’t democratic, but is obstructive for the development of civil society. We protest this attitude. We condemn the non-civil interventions against civil society.
• On 15 May 2007 it is gone to Esat Police Station to make press statement in the protesting the arbitrary custody, bad treatment and letting of unjust money penalties using the criminal law as a reason against drags and transsexuals of Esat Police Station. But by the policemen who are in duty at Esat Police Station the press statement was tried to be hindered. In view of press, the members of Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT provident society were subjected to bad treatment and torture. We will not permit the disturbance of our freedom of thought, expression, and association. We will continue to out the human rights abuses and to struggle in field of human rights of homosexuals.
• Türk Egitimsen Hatay Dortyol Branch made a criminal complaint about LGBT Student Club of Istanbul Bilgi University by reason of it gives permission to the organization of homosexual students. Also, Higher Education Council (YOK) opened an inquiry against Istanbul Bilgi University and demand a defence. We condemn this attempt against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, drag and transsexual individuals’s freedom of association.
• The access to the internet web sites of Kaos GL, Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) and Lambdaistanbul association is blocked from the all computers within the campus of Anadolu University in Eskisehir. Univesity students are faced with a warning “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Interest” or “Adult Content” together with a bording “The Access to This Web Site is Blocked”. This blockage is a human right violation against the LGBTT individuals’s freedom of thought, expression and association. We protest this position that we are subjected to and this frustration against the lgbtt indiviuals’s freedom of expression, information and communication due to nothing but we are lesbians, gays, bisexuals, drags, transsexuals!
The efforts for frustration against the organization of LGBTT individuals are discrimination and is an attack against the freedom of association.
We will not be silent against these attacks.
Monitoring the Human Rights and Law Commission” of LGBTT Individuals
Kaos GL Association
Kaos GL Izmir
Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Provident Society
MorEl ( PurpleHand) Eskisehir LGBTT İnitiative
Pembe Hayat LGBTT Association
