Turkish authorities on Sunday announced a ban on all LGBTI cultural
events in Ankara province until further notice to "maintain public
order".
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| Homosexuality
has been legal since the creation of the modern Turkish republic in
1923 under founding leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (AFP/File) Turkish authorities on Sunday announced a ban on all LGBTI cultural events in Ankara province until further notice to "maintain public order".
The
move follows a ban on a festival of German-language gay films in the
capital on Thursday, imposed on the grounds it could incite hatred and
be at risk from terror attacks.
"Since
(Saturday) 18 November and until further notice, all film and theatre
events, screenings, panels, colloquium, exhibitions, etc... have been
banned," the Ankara administration said on its website.
It
argues that LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex)
events are likely to "provoke reactions within certain segments" of
society and has issued the ban to "maintain public order".
But
organisers of Thursday's film festival wanted authorities to instead
offer greater protection, denouncing the move as a violation of their
constitutional rights.
The ban
announcement has fuelled concern amongst LGBTI activists in Turkey that
their right to freedom of expression is being curtailed under the
Islamic-rooted government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Two
groups Kaos GL and Pink Life denounced the latest measure as "illegal,
disciminatory and arbitrary" which "legitimises the violations of LGBTI
rights."
"This ban... has no place in a democratic society," they said in a joint statement.
Homosexuality
has been legal since the creation of the modern Turkish republic in
1923, and was also legalised in the Ottoman Empire from the
mid-nineteenth century.
However, LGBTI
individuals in the country frequently complain of mistreatment including
harassment, abuse and rape as well as animosity.
The
annual gay pride rally in Istanbul -- once a hugely popular event ---
has been blocked by authorities for three years in a row also on
security grounds.
Activists accuse the
government of banning such events in a bid to impose a conservative
morality on the hugely diverse country. But authorities insist they are
acting to protect citizens' safety.
Earlier
this month, Erdogan was outraged at the existence of a quota for gays
on a neighbourhood committee, saying it was at odds with the nation's
values.
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