Ankara Governorship’s LGBTI Ban Taken to ECtHR

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Kaos GL Association has taken the “indefinite ban of LGBTI+ events” declared in November 2017 to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Kaos GL had appealed to Ankara 4th Administrative Court in the previous months and appealed to the Constitutional Court after the court rejected the request for the stay of execution.

With the Constitutional Court as well rejecting the demand, Kaos GL went to the ECtHR, as reported by Yıldız Tar from Kaos GL.

ECHR has been violated

In the petition prepared by Kaos GL Board Chair lawyer Yasemin Öz and lawyers Hayriye Kara and Kerem Dikmen, it was stated that the ban imposed on the pretext of “public morality” and “social sensitivities” violates certain articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Concerning the appeal, lawyer Dikmen said, “If the ECtHR issues injunction, this will lead to the same result with stay of execution and even though delayed, it will ensure prevention of rights violations”.

What happened?

Ankara Governorship banned the events to be held by “LGBTI NGOs” indefinitely on the pretext of “public morality” and “social sensitivity and sensibilities” on November 19.

The Governorship banned German LGBTI Film Days on November following some tweets posted with the hashtags #LGBTFilmGünleriİptalEdilsin (#MayLGBTFilmDaysBeCancelled) and #İstiklalimizeKaraLeke (#BlackMarkOnOurFreedom).

The 11th leg of the Gender-Based Journalism Workshop carried out by the International Press Service (IPS) Communication Foundation with the support of Kaos GL, was cancelled as well as it was targeted by the media. The workshop was planned to be held on November 18, in Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin. 

Beyoğlu sub-Governorship cancelled the film days to be held on November 25 with the cooperation of British Council and Kuirfest.

Two LGBTI events were obstructed by local administrative and law enforcers in Bursa and Kocaeli.

The LGBTI organizations Kaos GL and Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) separately filed lawsuits against Ankara Governorship banning all LGBTI events indefinitely for the decision to be revoked and the execution to be suspended. (ÇT/TK)