'In the presidential elections, Erdoğan targeted LGBTI+ individuals the most'

ÜniKuir Association has released on October 27 a report titled "Monitoring Presidential and 28th Parliamentary Elections in the Context of LGBTI+ Rights and Monitoring of the 27th Legislative Year of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in the Context of LGBTI+ Rights." This report examines how presidential candidates and political actors addressed LGBTI+ individuals and their rights during the presidential elections in14 & 28 May (first and second round) 2023.

According to the report, there were variations in the approaches to LGBTI+ rights among the four presidential candidates in the 2023 Presidential Elections:

• Recep Tayyip Erdoğan produced 57 hate speech, discriminatory, or hostile remarks directed at LGBTI+ individuals in 139 different events (rallies, opening ceremonies, public meetings, press conferences, and TV programs).
• Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did not produce any rights-based or discriminatory statements regarding LGBTI+ individuals in 91 events, while Muharrem İnce produced only one rights-based statement in 31 events. Sinan Oğan did not produce any rights-based statements but made a discriminatory remark in 77 events.
• The report also assessed the statements of other prominent political actors during the election period:
  • Fatih Erbakan, the leader of the Rebirth Party, made 57 discriminatory remarks in 65 events.
  • Doğu Perinçek, the leader of the Homeland Party, made 7 discriminatory remarks in 33 events.
  • Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made 1 discriminatory remark in 125 events.
  • Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş made 2 discriminatory remarks and 1 rights-based statement in 81 events.
  • People's Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairpersons Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar did not make any statements regarding LGBTI+ rights.
  • Erkan Baş, the leader of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), made 4 rights-based statements in 29 events, making him the political actor with the highest number of rights-based statements related to LGBTI+ individuals.

The report also highlights that half of the violations of LGBTI+ rights were not even discussed in the parliament. The "Monitoring of the 6th Legislative Year of the 27th Term of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in the Context of LGBTI+ Rights" report revealed that the group leaders of the five political parties represented in the parliament did not mention LGBTI+ rights. Again, seven parliament members who promised to advocate for LGBTI+ rights during the 2018 General Elections did not take any action.

Furthermore, the report noted that LGBTI+ organizations were not invited during discussions about a constitutional amendment related to LGBTI+ rights in the Constitutional Committee. Notably, the report documented that 26 parliament members from Justice and Development Party (AKP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Great Unity Party (BBP), Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), and Republican People's Party (CHP) showed a negative attitude towards LGBTI+ rights in 42 events, while 25 parliament members from HDP, TIP, and CHP were in favor of LGBTI+ rights and participated in 65 events advocating for them. It also revealed that even half of the rights violations against LGBTI+ individuals did not make it onto the parliamentary agenda. (EMK/PE)