Written declaration No. 555 | Doc. 13323 | 02 October 2013

The need for measures to counter transphobic and homophobic violence and discrimination in Turkey

Signatories: Mr Jonas GUNNARSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Delia BLANCO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Mikael CEDERBRATT, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Michael CONNARTY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Karl GARÐARSSON, Iceland, ALDE ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Ramón JÁUREGUI, Spain, SOC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Michael Aastrup JENSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Mr Ögmundur JÓNASSON, Iceland, UEL ; Ms Unnur Brá KONRÁÐSDÓTTIR, Iceland, EDG ; Mr Pierre-Yves LE BORGN', France, SOC ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Riitta MYLLER, Finland, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Anette TRETTEBERGSTUEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, Denmark, UEL ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Transgender Europe’s monitoring of murders of transgender persons over the period from 2008 – 2012 shows that Turkey consistently has much the highest reported number of such cases in Europe.

A recent report on human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Turkey documents 6 cases where transgender persons and 5 cases where lesbian, gay or bisexual persons lost their lives because of hate motivated killings in 2012.

These murders are but the most extreme form of the discrimination experienced by LGBT people in many parts of Turkish society. Moreover, all too often homophobic and transphobic attitudes within law enforcement agencies mean that the response of the authorities to such acts of discrimination is inadequate.

This situation can only be improved by an extensive government led programme of, inter alia, awareness raising among the general public, law reform (including particularly the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in anti-hate crime and anti-discrimination measures), and the training of police and judiciary.

We call upon the Turkish government to implement such a programme, using the Committee of Ministers Recommendation on combating discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity as the framework.