The right to life of LGBTI+ people is in danger
We have entered Pride Month, which was established to increase the visibility of LGBTI+ people around the world and strengthen their struggle for rights and solidarity. LGBTI+ people have announced that they will not give up their rights despite all the oppressive policies of the AKP.
As every year, Pride Month will be celebrated this year with Pride Marches and various events in different parts of the country. There are only a few days left until the Pride March in İstanbul. LGBTI+ individuals have announced that they will not give up their rights on the streets. The AKP government, on the other hand, aims to break all resistance with its systematic attacks.
The AKP government, which has declared 2025 as the ‘Year of the Family,’ is increasing its pressure on LGBTI+ people day by day. Most recently, Erdoğan, who participated in the International Family Forum, targeted women and LGBTI+ people by referring to the ‘sacred family.’ The government's anti-LGBTI+ rhetoric has become even harsher with support from conservative circles. This exclusionary language did not remain mere rhetoric but was reinforced by laws.
Although LGBTI+ people resisted the attacks, some paid with their lives. Ten years ago, trans woman Eylül Cansın said in a video she recorded before committing suicide, “I couldn't do it because they didn't let me.” Another tragic news from Edirne the other day once again revealed that the situation has not changed. A trans woman named Helin, who lived in Keşan, ended her life, saying, “They don't give us trans people the right to live.”
According to LGBTI+ rights advocates, these deaths are entirely political, resulting from oppression and exclusion. LGBTI+ activists reacted by saying, “The system itself is to blame. They want to establish a Sharia regime.”
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THE SITUATION IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY SERIOUS
Data from the Rainbow Index, prepared by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association, has highlighted the problems faced by LGBTI+ people. In the index, which includes 49 countries, LGBTI+ rights are rated according to a specific formula, and countries are given a score accordingly. In the index, which can range from 0 to 100, the score increases as the situation in the country improves. Even when viewed on an annual basis, Turkey is among the countries with the least rights and freedoms granted to LGBTI+ individuals. The Rainbow Index data for Turkey is as follows:
Year - Score (%) - Ranking (among 49 countries)
• 2013: 14% - 39th place
• 2015: 12% - 41st place
• 2016: 9% - 44th place
• 2019: 5% - 47th place
• 2020: 4% - 48th place
• 2023: 4% - 48th place
• 2024: 5% - 47th place
• 2025: 5% - 47th place
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NO PENALTY FOR HATE CRIMES IN THIS COUNTRY
There is no law in Turkey that directly punishes hate crimes against LGBTI+ people. Currently, attacks against LGBTI+ people often go unpunished. Legal appeals are also ineffective.
Note: This text has been translated from the original Turkish version titled LGBTİ+’ların yaşam hakkı tehlikede, published in BirGün newspaper on June 6, 2025.
