End violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in Turkey
Written question
No.
557 to the Committee of Ministers
| Doc. 11796
| 26 January 2009
The decision of Turkey's Supreme Court
of Appeals, announced on 27 November 2008, to overturn the decision
of a lower court ordering the closure of Lambda Istanbul, a group
advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people's
human rights, is very much to be welcomed.
However, a recent report by Human Rights Watch, “We Need a Law for Liberation" -- Gender, Sexuality,
and Human Rights in a changing Turkey, makes it clear
that the human rights challenges faced by LGBT people in Turkey
are not limited to freedom of association. The report documents, inter alia:
- disturbing evidence of endemic homophobic violence;
- detailed accounts of police malpractice and violence;
- vague laws on, for example, “offences against public morality”
which are used to harass LGBT people;
- the violence and harassment faced by some lesbians and
bisexual women, particularly in the context of family "honour";
- the extreme prejudice and social exclusion faced by many
transgender persons;
- Turkey's treatment of gay men and transgender persons
in the armed forces, which is in violation of judgments of the European
Court of Human Rights.
Recalling the European Convention for the protection of Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms to which Turkey is a signatory,
Mr Hancock,
To ask the Committee of Ministers,
what action the Committee of Ministers is to undertake to
request Council of Europe member state Turkey to outline what plans
Turkey has to implement the recommendations in the Human Rights
Watch Report in order to end violence and discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation and gender identity namely with regard
to:
- the enactment of a comprehensive
non-discrimination law containing specific protections against unequal
treatment based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all
areas of life;
- the elimination of vague laws used to harass LGBT people;
- the amendment of military policy to eliminate sexual-orientation
and gender-identity based exclusion from the armed forces;
- measures to ensure full respect and legal recognition
for each person’s profound self-esteem;
- the training of all criminal justice system officials
on principles of human rights and non-discrimination as they relate
to LGBT people;
- the adequate investigation and prosecution of crimes of
violence and rape against LGBT people;
- ensuring that measures to address domestic violence are
applied without discrimination and in a manner sensitive to issues
of sexual orientation or gender identity;
- ensuring that LGBT organisations are able to enjoy freedom
of association without hindrance.
Signed:
HANCOCK Michael, United Kingdom, ALDE
