Leaflets advising 'stoning LGBTI+s to death' distributed in Turkey's Eskişehir

Photo: Kaos GL

LGBTI+ rights activists and lawyers in Eskişehir, central Turkey, on Tuesday (May 17) filed a criminal complaint regarding the anonymous leaflets calling for killing LGBTI+s with Islamic references.

Reading out a statement in front of the Eskişehir Courthouse, LGBTI+ activist Matti Solak said, "We know that these leaflets without a signature are distributed by the reactionary, jihadist gangs."

They recalled the statements targeting the LGBTI+s by senior government officials, including the president, the interior minister, and the president of religious affairs, saying, "they are criminalizing our existence."

"None of us is safe in Eskişehir, the city picked the eighth safest city of Europe, which Governor Erol Ayyıldız, who posed with jihadists gangs, brags about," Solak remarked, referring to a recent visit by religious community leaders to the governor.

"The perpetrators of the slightest hate attack on LGBTI+s living on the streets of this city are evident. It is the state that turns a blind eye to these attacks.

"Today we are filing a criminal complaint against those who are preparing for a murder with calls for massacre. We will do our best for the punishment of the perpetrators and those who protect them."

The leaflet

The leaflet entitled "Explanation of the haram of sodomy with verses [of the Quran] and the hadith" includes quotes from several early Islamic scholars that LGBTI+s should be killed and how it should be done, daily Evrensel reported last week. Stoning to death and burning are the methods suggested by various scholars.

The leaflets were distributed in Odunpazarı, a central district of the city, coinciding with the governor's banning of a music festival in a decision welcomed by the religious communities in the city, which described the festival as "immoral."

Last year, the governor banned what would be the first Pride March in the city. Police had detained dozens who attempted to demonstrate.

Religious groups

Interviewed by Kaos GL, Ecmel Deniz, an LGBTI+ activist, said, "Eskişehir is a city that the LGBTI+s define as a safe space. However, especially in the last two years, communities that are engaged in activities against the principle of secularism of the Constitution have invaded Eskişehir.

"We have come to a situation where they don't hesitate to be visible. They open men-only or 'ladies-only' cafes where young people are concentrated.

"The governor's office, which bans our right to hold a gathering at every opportunity with the claim of ensuring the security of the city, ... supports the activities of these communities."

Sevcan İncesu, a volunteer for Pride Eskişehir, told Kaos GL that similar leaflets have been distributed in the city for the last three years.

"Eskişehir is a small city and such reactionary efforts spread very quickly. They want to scare LGBTI+s and confine them to their homes," she said. "They are aware that LGBTI+ visibility is high in Eskişehir. Many LGBTI+ students choose this city thinking that it is safer." (VK)