30/03/2005 | Writer: KAOS GL

Lambda Istanbul and Kaos GL are hoping that a trial due April 6, 2005 will help Turkey end torture and violence against transgender people.

On November 17, 2004 a transvestite by the name of Hulya was working as a sex worker on Baghdad Street in Istanbul. After she had sex with one of her customers, he asked her to do something that she was not willing to do. When she refused to do the act, he threatened her with a gun and said he was a policeman and he would take her to a police station if she did not comply. When she asked to see his ID he showed her his ID but she was not able to read the information. He then drove her to a place where there were other policemen and left her with them. When she tried to explain that she was threatened by this guy with a gun, instead of doing something to the guy they began to beat her and took her to a police station. Once at the station they continued to beat her and broke her arms and injured one of her feet. Then they wrote a report stating that she refused their demands and based on that the District Attorney of Kadikoy arrested her and sent her to Umraniye prison.

The representatives from Lambda Istanbul Homosexual Civil Initiative and the Human Rights Association of Istanbul conducted a press conference in front of Sultanahmet Court Building on November 25, 2004 demanding the end of oppression towards transgenders. In the same day they filed a lawsuit against the police officers that committed this crime. (This petition was signed by 9 different non-governmental organizations.)

Unfortunately, only two press organizations (Flash TV and Gundem newspaper) covered the petition and the crime that was committed against Hulya. On many occasions the prime minister said that there would be no tolerance to torture, but when it comes to reality about transgenders, the government officials and the media are silent.

On December 31, 2004, the day of Hulya
Tags: human rights
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