"RTÜK's Input for Discrimination of LGBT Individuals"

The LambdaIstanbul Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transsexual Transvestite (LGBTT) Solidarity Association protested the fine issued by the Radio and Television Supreme Court (RTÜK) to Habertürk on the grounds of broadcasting a discussion on homosexuality.

The members of the association called on RTÜK President Davut Dursun to apologize for propounding that the program on subject constituted a breach of the society's national and moral values and of the Turkish family structure.

"With this decision, RTÜK tries to prevent the broadcasting of any sort of program related to homosexuality on television", LambdaIstanbul criticized. The association invited all television channels to protest RTÜK and to take a stance against discrimination and hate speech.

"We are looking for ten TV channels that announce the 'discussion' of homosexuality to be just as 'normal' and ordinary as heterosexuality in order to give an answer to these primitive statements that are far away from scientific facts".

Fine for talking about homosexuality

RTÜK had previously warned the Turkish television channel atv for showing two men in a bed in the series "Day of the Sword" ('Kılıç Günü')

LGBT associations had pointed out that these scenes were not going beyond ordinary scenes of heterosexuality. The associations criticized a warning exclusively based on the homosexual characters of the series.

The LGBT associations had emphasized that this sort of incidents deepened discrimination and violence imposed on LGBT individuals. The topic had been discussed on several television channels.

Actor Onur Ayçelik who is playing a homosexual in the "Day of the Sword" series attended the program entitled "Ankara Report" on Habertürk . It was announced this week that RTÜK fined the television station because of the program.

RTÜK Başkanı Dursun: Türk aile yapısına aykırılık oluştu

RTÜK President Dursun expressed his dissenting opinion in writing:

"It was emphasized that the dialogues in the program put forward that homosexuality should be accepted as normal, that this was a process and that he scenes in the program supported homosexuality to be perceived as normal by the public. The broadcast tried to legitimize this kind of relations and show them as normal. This is being evaluated as harming the Turkish family structure. It constituted a breach of the society's national and moral values and of the Turkish family structure".

"RTÜK and President Dursun are accomplices"

LambdaIstanbul stressed the following points:

* The existence of LGBT individuals was denied by the RTÜK warning. The fine will be reflected in society by an increase of discrimination against LGBT individuals.

* RTÜK President Dursun's statement is out of line with scientific facts and full of superstition. The American Psychological Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) "explicitly" define homosexuality as "no disease". The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) also announced several times that homosexuality is not a disease.

* RTÜK issued a fine for a discussion on homosexuality; the RTÜK President expressed his unease about the possibility to perceive homosexuality as "normal". They announced homosexuality to be a disease and are themselves accomplices for the discrimination of LGBT individuals. (BB/VK)