LGBTI comment from Turkish presidential candidate: Society has sensitivities!

 

Presidential candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoğlu spoke with Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet’s Cansu Camlibel and avoided answering questions regarding homophobia and LGBTI rights. Ihsanoglu talked about “society’s sensitivities” and said “Our society is a conservative one. We have to think about the sensitivities of a conservative society.”

 

Ihsanoglu has no projects, promises or statements on LGBTI people killed because of “the sensitivities of a conservative society” or hate crimes.

 

Ihsanoglu had previously argued that homophobia is not a universal issue and had stayed away from approaches that include LGBTI rights within universal human rights. The relevant parts of the interview are below:

 

 

Of course this is a very sensitive issue. On the one hand there is the human rights aspect on the inclusion of these people in society and on the other hand there are society’s sensitivities. We must think about this within these two parameters.

 

 

What is homophobia?

 

We should consider these sensitivities. It would not be correct to approach one side heavily. And there is this: our society is a conservative one. We have to think about the sensitivities of a conservative society. We have to be respectful of the values of 76 million people in Turkey. There are people who behave like this and who defend their rights.

 

 

There is a majority that is against this as well. It is not possible for me to answer this when I am trying to make it to the airport.

 

 

Translation: LGBTI News Turkey