We are publishing the third installment of our Elections 2023 Reports. With news reports published in English every week until the May 14 Elections, we aim to inform our readers in Turkey and in the Diaspora about the latest developments regarding LGBTQI+ and the elections in Turkey. We hope our reports will highlight various achievements of LGBTQI+ individuals and organizations in the field of politics while establishing an archive of the 2023 Elections. Please feel free to share these reports with your friends, families, and colleagues who are looking for more information on the upcoming elections and LGBTQI+ in Turkey.
(#1 and #2)
***
The Women’s Assembly of the Yeşil Sol Party, the umbrella party for the Labor and Freedom coalition, unveiled its elections program. They stated that hate crimes towards LGBTQI+ will be codified if they are elected.
Züleyha Gülüm, İstanbul MP of the HDP who spoke against the violent attacks towards LGBTQI+ at Newroz Celebrations, brought the legal harassment and discrimination of trans activist Ajda Ender to the Parliament’s attention.
SPoD, Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association, hosted the main opposition party CHP’s Gender Equality Commision. The association and the commission exchanged information on their work. TKP İstanbul 1st District MP candidatesı Deniz Yıldız and Ömür Yaşayan visited the association and stated that “the LGBTQI+ rights can only be gained with a struggle for civic equality and this is only possible if the current system changes.” Political Participation Modelling Coordinator Oğulcan Yediveren explained the association’s campaign “Leaving No One Behind” on Artı TV.
Parties and coalitions are finalizing the MP candidates lists until the deadline, April 9. The negotiations are still continuing. When this report was being written, only MHP had submitted its own list to the Supreme Council of Elections.
Claims of voter registration fraud were circulated by the CHP, arguing that the AKP was trying to rig the elections. State authorities have not taken any action about these claims.
Kılıçdaroğlu declared that, if elected, there will be new anti-corruption and anti-discrimination laws which protect vulnerable groups and insulting the president will no longer be a crime.
4 suspects were taken under custody for shooting bullets into the air in front of the CHP’s Istanbul Headquarters. Suspects said that they shot guns into the air to produce content for social media. The party considers the act as an attack similar to the attack on the İyi Party last week.
Graphic designer Mahir Akkoyun, who designed stickers blaming Erdoğan and Bahçeli for high inflation, was taken under custody in İzmir. His crimes are described by the authorities as insulting the president and distorting the election process by designing a sticker and sharing it on social media and elsewhere.
Click here if you would like to support Velvele
