Human rights violations of LGBT individuals in Turkey submitted to the UN

United Nations Universal Periodic Review is a cooperative mechanism and a state-driven process which reviews the fulfillment of the human rights obligations and commitments of all 193 UN Member States once every four and a half years. Turkey is going to be reviewed within the scope of its obligations to ensure human rights in January – February 2015.

 

This submission presents human rights violations in Turkey on account of actual or perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity. These violations consist of acts of violence against LGBT individuals, discriminatory domestic laws, arbitrary administrative measures, and hostile approach of State officials towards the LGBT community.

 

In preparing this submission, we relied on documentation and data from the following sources: LGBT organizations and allies in Turkey; reports by national and international human rights NGOs; the European Commission’s Annual Progress Report; Concluding Observations of the UN Human Rights Committee’s review of Turkey’s compliance with the ICCPR; recommendations from Turkey’s first-cycle UPR; Turkey’s Constitution and recent legislation; and media reports of violence and discrimination against LGBT individuals.