Amnesty intl: "Turkey must take action against LGBT discrimination"

After being elected to a historic third term, Turkey's government should take action to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination, urges a new report from Amnesty International. "It is the responsibility of all the parties in Parliament to ensure that any new constitutional reforms in Turkey outlaws discrimination on grounds of sexuality or gender identity," said Andrew Gardner, the human rights group's researcher on Turkey. Entitled "Not an illness, nor a crime," the report, released today, says LGBT people in Turkey demand equality. The report cites interviews with people who have faced discrimination from officials in health services, education, housing and the workplace in a country where there are no provisions to prevent it. The report is based on research carried out by Amnesty International in January and February in five cities across Turkey – Ankara, Diyarbakir, Eskisehir, Istanbul and Izmir. Individual case information indicated in the report is based on 70 interviews with the individuals concerned, nongovernmental organizations or groups working with the individuals, plus their friends and supporters, court documents and other official documentation. "Many hate crimes are not reported; and even when they are, such acts are not often registered as crimes," says the report. "The motivation for the crime is routinely not investigated." The report urges the state to cooperate with LGBT groups to build an institutional legislative framework to respect, protect and promote the right to live free from discrimination.