The Positive Life Foundation (PYD) held a press conference at the Journalists' Association in Antalya on 3 September. The foundation's president Arzu Kaykı addressed the people with her call: "Make a test, get to know your situation. Protect both yourself and your loved ones".

Kaykı appealed to the authorities: "Let us take HIV/AIDS on our agenda. The numbers are continuously rising. Let us cooperate in the development of your protection, test and support program".

"The confidentiality of private data is being violated"

Together with Kaykı, Assoc. Dr. Rabin Saba, member of the Akdeniz (Mediterranean) University School of Medicine, Main Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, and lawyer Soner Ustaoğlu, PYD Antalya Law Consultant, joined the press conference.

Kaykı pointed out that the time has come to talk about HIV/AIDS, stressing that information and both providing and receiving protection is needed instead of groundless fears. Kaykı urged the people that are infected to get in touch with the PYD.

Saba presented the current number of HIV/AIDS patients in the world, in Turkey and in Antalya. He explained: "While the number of new cases worldwide declines, there is a rapid increase of new cases in Turkey."

Saba reminded: "HIV cannot be passed on by social contacts, by being around somebody who is infected, by kissing, sweat, saliva or mosquitoes". He explained that after an HIV infection it can take 2 to 13 years until AIDS breaks out. Concerning Turkey Saba continued that especially in Antalya most of the patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease. Saba warned that for those people it is important to make a test before they reach that stage.

HIV and human rights

Lawyer Ustaoğlu contributed to the meeting with a presentation entitled "HIV and Human Rights".  He noted that in the existing legal framework there are no obstacles for HIV positive people in terms of work, marriage, having children and receiving education. He underlined that the rights of people living with HIV are protected by the discrimination article in the constitution.

Ustaoğlu complained that despite the legal applications personal data had not been kept confidential, quoting the current news about an HIV positive civil servant. He claimed: "The ECHR should not accept the application before the interior law channels have not been exhausted. This showed once more the importance of confidentiality of private data on Turkey's legal basis. (BÇ/VK)