Suspected Gay Honor Killing In Turkey

Four years ago I wrote about what was then being called the first "gay honor killing" in Turkey. Now it appears there has been a second.

A gay teenager was allegedly killed last month by his father and uncle in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in a murder that the boy’s rich and powerful tribal family subsequently sought to cover up, according to local members of the LGBT community. R.A., 17, had allegedly been exposed to violence by his family because of his sexual orientation before seeking refuge at a friend’s house, daily Cumhuriyet reported. R.A.’s uncle, however, forcibly removed the teenager from his friend’s house; later, the boy reportedly had an argument with his father, after which the latter allegedly shot his son 14 times before he and his brother deposited the body by the side of the road, Cumhuriyet reported.

The father and brother have been arrested. (Tipped by JMG reader Brandy)

RELATED: Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but LGBT people have zero civil rights and discrimination is widespread. "Passive" homosexuals are banned from the military and some reports claim that conscientious objectors to service must provide photographic evidence of being on the receiving end of anal sex in order to be excused. Human rights groups have objected to Turkey's potential admission to the European Union based on the government's mistreatment of LGBT people, its brutal prison system, and the abuses of other minority groups. British Prime Minister David Cameron, an otherwise staunch supporter of LGBT rights, has called for Turkey's immediate membership in the EU.