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The Istanbul LGTB Initiative and the Labor Movement Party organized a demonstration in Istanbul's busy district of Beyoğlu to draw attention to the oppression and applications against transvestites and transsexuals enforced by Chief of Police Hüseyin Çapkın during the last days.

The transsexuals and transvestites argued in the meeting in the early evening hours on 28 September that every day arbitrary fines have been issued to them under the excuse of disturbing the environment. They announced that they are not going to give way to these applications.

Participants of the demonstration walked from Taksim square all the way down the busy and popular Istiklal Avenue to Galatasary square, stating that no policy of intimidation could stop them from leading a free life.

Demonstrators shouted slogans like "We are not exhibitionists, we are transvestites", "Transvestitism cannot be forbidden" or "The police robs and the state protects them". Ebru Kırancı said in a press release after the march: "Earlier on, Hüseyin Çapkın tyrannized transvestites in Izmir when he was the local Chief of Police. He was also involved in issues such as the killing of Baran Tursun. Our life is difficult anyhow. Now Hüseyin Çapkın turned it into hell as the Istanbul Chief of Police".

Kırancı argued that Çapkın signaled a hunt for transvestites within the Istanbul police. "This hostility against transvestites is not only the policy of the police or the chief, this is the government's policy of systematic discrimination".

Kırancı stated that they are going to fight these applications till the end with collective criminal complaints, protest marches, press releases and further actions. Addressing the police she continued: "Is transvestitism a crime? Is a transvestite criminal? Is it your duty to prevent crimes that increase day by day or is it your duty to tyrannize us by the means of the taxes we pay?"

The demonstrators carried banners writing "Being a transvestite or a transsexual is not a crime. 'Police' fines cannot intimidate us". (ZK/BÇ/VK)