“Starting from Nov. 18, 2017, concerning our community’s public sensitivity, any events such as [LGBT] cinema, theatre, panels, interviews, exhibitions are banned until further notice in our province to provide peace and security,” a statement released on Sunday read.

The Governor’s office in Ankara on Wednesday banned a festival which was set to take place this weekend.

The festival would have seen four films by German directors over 16-17 November.

The Governor’s office cited fears of terrorism and public safety concerns.

“Considering that the content could incite grudges and enmity toward a part of society… and the intelligence reports that terror organizations are seeking to attack dissentient groups or individuals, it is evaluated that this film screening could be provocative and draw reactions,” said the Ankara governor’s office in a statement.

Earlier this year, a Pride event was cancelled for the second consecutive year, and when demonstrators took to the streets anyway, several were detained by authorities.
Seven transgender activists were detained in Istanbul after they staged a trans Pride event despite authorities banning it.

The Istanbul’s governor office banned the Pride event late on Saturday evening to “preserve public order and keep tourists and participants safe”.

It came after a separate Pride event was cancelled last weekend and resulted in Turkish police using rubber bullets and tear gas on rallies.

It’s believed that ultranationalist groups threatened the trans march, which the governors office described as “very serious reactions”.

Istanbul LGBTI, who organised the 8^th annual Trans Pride March, said that they would not recognised the ban that was imposed.

“We are trans, we are here, get used to it, we are not leaving,” they said in a statement on Facebook.

They also announced on social media that they intended to meet at Taksim Square for the event.

A water cannon was sent to the area but it was not used on activists.

Last Sunday rubber bullets were fired at a group of an estimated 40 people who rallied for the LGBT Pride march.

It was the second year in a row that authorities cancelled the event, but activists still attempted to attend.

It is believed that a number of lawyers working in conjunction with the organisers of the march were temporarily detained.

Pride rallies have been organised for the last 13 years in Istanbul.

The last successful march was held in 2014 with an estimated 100,000 people turning out for one of the largest LGBT celebrations in a Muslim majority country.

In 2015 the march was cancelled citing a “flagrant violation of the constitution and the law” but a number of marchers defied authorities and gathered anyway. However, they were dispersed by police using tear gas and rubber bullets.

2016’s Pride event was also cancelled, citing a Government ban and security concerns.
They claimed that the concerns stemmed from the Orlando massacre which left 49 people dead.

Defiant activists once again took to the streets but over 300 riot officers and a water cannon were deployed to break up the event.

Joseph Patrick McCormick

* 19^th November 2017, 1:06 PM:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/11/19/turkish-capital-bans-all-lgbt-events-over-public-sensitivity/

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Ankara Governor’s ban on LGBTI events illegal!

Ankara based LGBTI organisations Pink Life and Kaos GL: This decision and the illegal and vague grounds for it violate the very fundamental freedom of expression and association as well as other fundamental rights and freedoms.

Press release of Ankara based LGBTI organisations’ Pink Life and Kaos GL on Governorship of Ankara’s indefinite ban on LGBTI events:

We learned that the governor’s office of Ankara banned “from November 18, 2017 onwards, activities of LGBTT-LGBTI organizations such as film screenings, cinevision, theater plays, panels, talks, exhibitions which include certain social sensitivities and sensibilities” via its website.

We will follow legal proceedings on the governor’s illegal, discriminatory and arbitrary ban. There can be no legitimate or legal grounds for such a wholesale ban that touches the core of rights.

In an omnibus ban with a very wide scope, we are facing a situation that is vague, open to interpretation and rights violations, criminalizing LGBTI existence. LGBTI civil society organizations are respectable institutions working for years to combat discrimination and hate crimes for equal citizenship. This ban, which goes beyond limiting the areas of activity of these institutions and making them inoperable, cannot be accepted in a democratic society.

Ankara governor’s office’s grounds for the omnibus ban, including the phrases “protecting public health and morality,” “social sensibilities and sensitivities,” “public security” and “protection of other people’s rights and liberties” are clearly discriminatory. This decision legitimizes rights violations and discrimination against LGBTIs.

This decision and the illegal and vague grounds for it violate the very fundamental freedom of expression and association as well as other fundamental rights and freedoms. With this ban, fundamental rights have been interfered with in their essence.

Ankara governor’s office’s decision to ban violates our constitution’s Article 10 on equality and Article 26 on freedom to announce and disseminate thoughts, as well as international agreements Turkey is party to.

With this announcement the civil administration is endangering public safety by turning LGBTIs and civil society organizations, who are an important part of the public, into targets instead of fulfilling its duty to ensure public security.

We expect this decision to be rethought and withdrawn in the shortest amount of time. In our country where discrimination and hate based on sexual orientation and gender identity is rampant, it is the duty of national and local administrations to combat this discrimination and hate.

Pink Life and Kaos GL

* Sunday, November 19, 2017:
https://www.kaosgl.org/page.php?id=24995

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