WASHINGTON—Congressmen Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) led a letter from 34 Members of Congress to Secretary Tillerson asking the State Department and the Trump Administration take a stronger role in condemning the Turkish government for its recent crackdown against LGBTQ events.
“These actions are part of a worrisome trend by the Turkish government of using physical force and the adoption of discriminatory laws against the LGBTQ community since at least June 2015. The suppression of the freedom of assembly signals an endorsement of anti-LGBTQ sentiments held by some, including President Tayyip Erdogan and many in his Justice and Development Party,” read a part of a statement published by Pallone’s office.
“The United States must not stand by while President Erdogan—and other regimes committing human rights abuses around the world—seeks to implement discriminatory policies with impunity,” said Pallone. “It’s time President Trump and Secretary Tillerson restore America’s commitment to standing up for LGBT rights abroad.”
“LGBTQ people in Turkey have been living in fear for years. And as a result, they’ve been denied the opportunity to participate and make their voices heard at public events. That’s a basic violation of human rights that we cannot tolerate from nations who are supposed to be our international partners,” said Rep. Maloney, co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. “It’s time for this Administration—especially Secretary Tillerson—to get in the game here and promote democratic principles in Turkey.”
Below is the letter in its entirety.
***
Jan. 17, 2018
The Honorable Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Tillerson:
We write to draw your attention to troubling reports that the Republic of Turkey, once among the most open and LGBTQ-friendly countries in the Muslim world, has taken increasingly hostile steps to crack down on public and the Trump Administration take a stronger role in condemning. We request that the State Department and the Trump Administration take a stronger role in condemning these actions and take every necessary step in protecting and promoting LGBTQ civil rights on the world stage.
Recently, the Governor of Ankara indefinitely banned any films and exhibitions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in Turkey’s capital city. The ban was implemented after the governor halted an LGBTQ Film Festival a day before it was scheduled to begin on Nov. 16, 2017. The following week, a district governor in Istanbul banned another LGBTQ film screening, “in order to secure public order and safety.”
Actions taken by these officials are part of a worrisome trend towards restricting peaceful assembly and freedom of speech in Turkey. The Turkish government has used physical force and the adoption of discriminatory laws since at least June 2015 to prevent LGBTQ persons from publicly gathering, citing “social values” and “public morality” as the reason for these actions. In June, 2015, Turkish police used water cannons to disperse the LGBTI+ pride march in Istanbul, injuring peaceful participants. The following year, Istanbul riot police dispersed a Trans Pride resulting in the unlawful detainment of 11 people and violence at the hands of local police. And this June, Istanbul’s governor banned the city’s Trans and LGBTI+ pride march, citing security concerns.
This trend of suppression of the freedom of assembly for LGBTQ people and their allies signals an acceptance of anti-LGBTQ sentiments held by some Turkish people, including President Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AK). President Erdogan refuses to expand, or even protect, the most basic rights for minorities, LGBTQ people and women. This regime’s flouting of international norms and its intolerance of dissent has clearly been on display in Turkey and in its interactions with the rest of the world.
The United States must not stand by as the Erdogan regime threatens human rights. We therefore urge you to publicly speak out against the ongoing abuses in Turkey and to call on the Turkish authorities to immediately revoke this ban. We must ensure that the U.S. remains committed to working with countries to protect all of their citizens, no matter whom they are or whom they love. We look forward to hearing from you regarding the Administration’s plan to address this growing concern in Turkey.
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Every imaginable crime follows naturally from genocide left unpunished and the genocidal state, Turkey and Azerbaijan, not being held accountable and answerable for humanity’s most heinous and unpardonable crime of Genocide.
Genocide left unpunished and the criminal genocidal state, Turkey (call it Ottoman, interim state, Kemalist or Erdogan’s Turkey, it’a all the same, the savage, sadistic, blood lust and plundering state) in effect being encouraged and rewarded for its execution of history’s most diabolical and inexcusible crime against humanity, ushers in every conceivable breach of every human rights. It is tantamount to robbing human beings of their very humanness, treating them even worse than slaughterhouse treatment of domestic animals. It should have put genocidal Turkey and its equally blood-thristy little brother Azerbaijan beyong the pale of civilization, should have made them Pariahs, whose very touch corrupts human civilization and sanctions every conceivable crime against humanity.
How about members of congress urging the armenian government on the mistreatment of LGBTQ in armenia ,where the population is a 100% homophobic and where human rights in armenia is at a minimum especially for women s right.Let s clean the crap we have in our own back yard first.