Turkey has recently intensified its crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community, which includes attacks on gay bars and hundreds of arrests. Turkey's Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, has stated that the government has the responsibility to protect families and children, and no criminal organization or abuse network targeting families is tolerable.
New Crackdowns and Their Impacts
While these actions are not new in Turkey, their severity seems to have increased in recent years. Dr. Koen Slotemakers, an international politics professor at St. George's University, London, points out that these crackdowns are linked to the rise of right-wing movements in Europe. He states that these actions are aimed at reinforcing traditional family values and creating a narrative of "us versus them."
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Global Consequences of LGBTQ+ Rights Crackdown
According to recent reports, the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community worldwide are facing more coordinated and widespread attacks. These reports indicate that in the United States, under Donald Trump's presidency, a global narrative has emerged that negatively impacts LGBTQ+ rights. Additionally, in other countries like Burkina Faso and Trinidad and Tobago, same-sex relationships have recently been criminalized.
While the methods of repression may vary, Slotemakers emphasizes that the reasons for these actions are often opportunistic rather than ideological. He notes that in autocratic regimes, when political power is threatened, these issues are easily used as a means to divert attention from other crises.
The Status of LGBTQ+ Rights in Europe
Turkey ranks 47th out of 49 countries in the annual rainbow map prepared by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. This status reflects the unfriendly laws and policies towards the LGBTQ+ community in the country. At the same time, Serbia, which has gradually fallen to 29th place, is witnessing an increase in violence against the LGBTQ+ community.
Groups associated with President Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party have been linked to a wave of violence against the LGBTQ+ community. Although Serbia is not one of the 64 countries with criminal laws regarding homosexuality, there is a concerning sentiment among the LGBTQ+ community.
Challenges Facing the LGBTQ+ Community
The human rights group Kaos GL, whose offices have been attacked, has described these crackdowns as state discrimination, a politics of fear, and the destruction of civil society. For many individuals in Turkey's LGBTQ+ community, the word "exclusion" seems to aptly describe their current situation.
These threats continue to exist for those living under autocratic regimes in other parts of the world, and concerns about human rights and individual freedoms are on the rise.
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