TURKEY: Islamic Youth Group Posts "Kill All Gays" Messages In Ankara

LGBT News Turkey reports:

"Young Islamic Defense" has been putting up posters throughout Ankara. The poster says, “If you see someone engaged in the dirty business of the tribe of Lot, kill the doer and the done both.” Arguing that Muslims should not be silent about this issue, the group has publicly defended their call to massacre on their website: “In order to show that Islam absolutely does not allow this situation, we have shared this hadith, mentioned also in [hadith scholars] Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood: “If you see someone engaged in the dirty business of the tribe of Lot, kill the doer and the done both! Our wish is to learn the attitude Islam demands from us in light of the Qu’ran and the Sunnah, instead of the hodjas who cannot shout out what is rightful on television.” Tribe of Lot refers to the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the twin cities which Prophet Lot was sent to with God’s message and were destroyed by God when the community did not reign in its lust. The trope is often used against LGBT communities in the Muslim world.

The above-linked story blames the ruling party and President Tayyip Erdogan for inciting anti-gay sentiment with last month's attack on attendees of Istanbul Pride. Ankara is Turkey's capital.

MEXICO: Activists Protest Istanbul Pride Attack At Turkish Embassy

On Sunday, police attacked Istanbul Pride attendees with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets, reportedly because the event fell during Ramadan. Yesterday about two dozen Mexican activists protested the attack with a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in Mexico City. JMG reader Alex sends us his photos, noting, "A prayer for Ramadan was performed by a Muslim woman. She did it over a Pride Flag." (The woman was among the protesters.)

ISTANBUL: Police Attack Pride With Tear Gas, Water Cannons, Rubber Bullets

Al Jazeera reports:

Turkish police have fired water cannon and rubber pellets to disperse a crowd gathered in central Istanbul for the city's annual gay pride parade. The police appeared intent on stopping the crowd gathering near Taksim Square on Sunday, a cameraman for the Reuters news agency reported. Al Jazeera's Serpil Karacan, reporting from Istanbul, said opposition members of parliament formed a human chain to block the riot police. Images and videos posted on social media showed several people carrying gay pride flags running away while being fired upon by a water cannon mounted on an armoured police vehicle. As of 1400 GMT, the protesters have left Taksim Square and the nearby Istikal Street, and the city is "back to normal" according to our correspondent.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, photojournalist Bradley Secker, who is at the scene in Taksim, said the gay pride marchers were "puzzled" by the police action, given that a similar parade on June 21 went on in Istanbul without any incident. According to the AFP news agency, police took action against the crowd when demonstrators began shouting slogans accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of "fascism". No official comment has so far been issued by the government, but there were reports that the parade was stopped as it was Ramadan. However, Karajan said the parade, which has been held over the past 13 years without police intervention, occured peacefully during Ramadan last year.

This Is An Ad For Something

Via PC Magazine:

Sometimes marketing gives us actual nice things and not just the illusion of them. To promote the launch of Samsung's new video call center for the hearing impaired, Samsung Türkiye and advertising agency Leo Burnett Istanbul spent a month preparing to surprise a young Istanbul resident named Muharrem with an extraordinary morning — and a heartwarming advertisement for the rest of us. The ad, called "Hearing Hands," begins with Muharrem and his sister leaving their home for a walk through their neighborhood. Muharrem, who is hearing impaired, is pleasantly surprised when strangers on the street and in shops communicate with him using sign language.

You'll like this. Over 1M views already.

TURKEY: Men March In Skirts In Solidarity Protest After Murder Of Young Woman

Via the Independent:

Turkish protesters have taken to the streets of Istanbul after men in Turkey and neighbouring Azerbaijan tweeted images of themselves in skirts as a protest against the death of a young female student. The brutal death of 20-year-old Ozgecan Aslan on 11 February provoked a widespread reaction on social media - which has unusually translated into physical action. Ms Aslan died after reportedly fending off a bus driving attempting to rape her. She was beaten and stabbed before being dumped in a riverbed, where her body was eventually discovered. Female Turkish social media users first tweeted out under the hashtag #sendeanlat – translated roughly as ‘tell your story’ – before men in neighbouring Azerbaijan began tweeting out images of themselves wearing skirts under the hashtag #ozgecanicinminietekgiy on Wednesday.

TURKEY: US Diplomat Charles Hunter To Marry Local Musician Boyfriend

Charles Hunter, US Consul General to Turkey, has confirmed to the local press that he will marry his Turkish boyfriend with the ceremony to take place in Wisconsin.

Hunter was at an event at the Dutch consulate the previous day where he sang at an a capella choir. He responded to reporters' questions afterward. Naturally, almost all questions were about his affair with Turkish artist Ramadan Çaysever, and Hunter spoke about the affair for the first time. He said he "confirmed" all the reports in the press about his affair and planned marriage, but avoided elaborating on the matter. Çaysever, who frequently accompanies the Consul General at events, was absent at Tuesday night's event. Meanwhile, rumors made the rounds in the media about the top diplomat's affair. Some media outlets claimed Çaysever converted to Christianity for his partner. Milliyet, a Turkish daily, claimed Hunter asked for assignment of a bodyguard for Çaysever who has moved in with him, but has not been assigned one yet.

Hunter reportedly met Çaysever at one of his concerts. His music sounds quite like 80s Italo.

TURKEY: Mob Of Anti-US Protesters Attack And Chase Three American Sailors

Via the Washington Post:

Three U.S. sailors were attacked in Istanbul by an angry mob on Wednesday, as a grew of about 20 nationalists threw objects at them, chased them and briefly threw a bag over one of their heads. The incident was publicized in a video online, and acknowledged by the U.S. Navy. The attack underscores the volatility in Turkey, a longtime U.S. ally that increasingly does not see eye-to-eye with Washington on foreign policy, especially over how to handle the Islamic State militant group in neighboring Syria.

In the video, one of the Turks said the Americans looked like members of the U.S. Army. They claimed to be members of the Turkey Youth Union, which is opposed to working with America and becoming members of the European Union.“We define you as murderers, as killers… and we want you to get out of our land,” one man said, seconds before the attack ensues. The Navy said the Americans were sailors assigned to the USS Ross, a destroyer, and in Turkey for a scheduled port visit. They appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s. They were able to get away without sustaining injuries, and are back aboard the Ross, Navy officials said.

The US embassy in Turkey has responded on Twitter: "The video showing an assault on three visiting American sailors is appalling. While we respect the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression, we condemn today’s attack in Istanbul, and have no doubt the vast majority of Turks would join us in rejecting an action that so disrespects Turkey’s reputation for hospitality."

TURKEY: High Court Rules That Calling Gays "Perverts" Is Hate Speech

Via LGBTI News Turkey:

For the first time, hate speech on the ground of sexual orientation is among decisions of the Constitutional Court. The Court acknowledged that calling gays “perverts” is hate speech. Attorney Sinem Hun’s application to the Constitutional Court of Turkey about a news article that appeared on the website Habervaktim.com, which involved hate speech referring both to her and to the Kaos GL Association, has come to a conclusion. The Constitutional Court declared that the article stating, “Sinem Hun who is registered to the Ankara Bar Association and is the lawyer of the association of the perverts called Kaos GL” on Habervaktim.com is indeed hate speech on the ground of sexual orientation but ruled that it actually takes aim at the association and not to the applicant. Hereby, this is the first time hate speech on the ground of sexual orientation has been acknowledged by the Supreme Court.

(Tipped by JMG reader Luis)

100K Turn Out For Istanbul Pride

Via Aydinlik Daily:

More than 100, 000 people gathered in Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul to celebrate the 22th Pride Parade for the LGBT community on the 29 June, under some strict security measures by the police who blocked the roads to Taksim Square and Gezi Park with water cannons since early morning. Community members, as well their families and loved ones participated in the parade, chanting for the freedom for same-sex marriage and against homophobia. They carried banners that said, “Unconditional Love is Possible.” Most attendees appeared in the parade in glamorous costumes adorned with the colours of the international flag of the community. The crowd shouted slogans against fascism and capitalism, as well, saying ‘Be gone AKP!’ and ‘Legs up Against Fascism!’ and ‘Down with all the shopping centers!’

Openly gay US General Consul Charles Hunter reportedly participated in the parade.

Turkey Blocks Twitter Before Elections

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has apparently ordered that Twitter be blocked in his country less than ten days before key local elections.

Opposition media outlets said the block was implemented by Erdogan's government, after the prime minister told a rally he would eradicate Twitter access in the country. The state-run Anatolia news agency said authorities "technically blocked access to Twitter" because the service had ignored various Turkish court orders to remove some links. In Thursday's rally to drum up voter support ahead of March 30 local elections, Erdogan had told supporters: "We will wipe out Twitter. I don't care what the international community says."

Twitter has announced the below work-around.

About Iran's Gay Underground Railroad

A fascinating story from Vocativ:

For years, Iranians have crossed into neighboring Turkey to escape persecution for being gay. Once over the border and beyond the reach of Iran’s hard-line religious laws, they transform from bankers, engineers, students and artists into refugees, making their case for asylum abroad. Those who have successfully made it to North America, Europe or Australia, as well as those still waiting in Turkey as their applications are processed with the United Nation’s top refugee agency, make up a loose network of advisers who help newcomers. Turkish and international activists and NGOs round out the modern-day “underground railroad” that involves more information sharing than hiding and smuggling—though those arrangements are occasionally made as well.

Hit the link and read about one couple's journey.

Ukrainian Tries To Hijack Plane To Sochi

Via Al Jazeera:

A Turkish official says security forces are searching a passenger plane that landed at an Istanbul airport after a passenger claimed there was a bomb on board. Sources told Al Jazeera that the plane, which had 110 people onboard, took off from Kharhiv in Ukraine and landed in Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport. The plane sent a hijack alert as it was about to land after a passenger claimed to have a bomb, they said. The official told the AP news agency the plane landed safely on Friday and was parked in a "safe area" at the airport where it is being searched. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without prior authorisation.

Seattle Arson Suspect Was Headed To Turkey, First Court Appearance Is Today

According to a court document revealed yesterday, the suspect in the New Year's Eve arson at a packed Seattle gay nightclub was booked for a one-way flight to Turkey when he was arrested on Saturday on his way to the airport. Musab Masmari, 30, is scheduled to make his first court appearance today after a judge yesterday found probable cause to hold him on a charge of first degree arson. Masmari, who was born in Benghazi, Libya, has been arrested five times since May 2013 and police have not yet publicly speculated about his motive for setting the fire.

In related news, anti-Islam blogger Debbie Schlussel, who appears to be a clone of Pam Geller, yesterday claimed that Masmari is an "Obama State Department Arab cultural ambassador." Schluessel points to an article posted in 2011 to the website of Seattle's 911 Media Arts Center.

A delegation of Iraqi journalists and media professionals visited 911 Media Arts Center’s offices yesterday morning as part of an ongoing program through the World Affairs Council and the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). During the meeting 911 Media director Steven Vroom presented the workings of the organization to the group and fielded questions via two Arabic translators. The discussion primarily centered around the financial and practical workings of the organization, particularly the non-profit model in general and the income sources for a charitable new media center in an environment with little to no government funding for the arts. The concept of a community-driven media arts organization, and the idea of empowering individual voices through access and education, in the context of media independent from commercial or political interests was also discussed. Seattle resident Musab Masmari, a Libyan/US citizen, was also in attendance to act as a cultural ambassador on behalf of 911 Media Arts Center for the Arabic speaking visitors.

Schlussel idiotically describes the 911 Media Arts Center as "some sort of Muslim and/or leftist propaganda outfit to make us 'understand' the 'greatness' of Muslims and how they were the real victims of 9/11 terrorism and other dog poop endorsed by both the Obama and Bush Islamo-pandering State Departments." In fact, the 911 Media Arts Center was founded in 1984 and takes its name from the original address of its Seattle office, 911 Pine Street.

Despite Schlussel's nonsense, it will be interesting to learn if the man named in the above article is same man currently in custody. I've written to the 911 Media Arts Center to request further details.

Turkey Bans Grindr

Turkish LGBT rights group Kaos GL reports on its website:

Dating app Grindr, used by gay, bisexual and curious men, has been censored in Turkey. The app cannot be accessed since yesterday evening. İstanbul Anatolia 14th Criminal Court of Peace blocked off Grindr as a “protection measure.” Kaos GL Association's Lawyer Hayriye Kara said it is very likely that the decision might be related to "general morality", an ambiguous term used often against trans sex workers.

Mustache Transplants Offered In Turkey

If your facial scruff grows in a sparse or unsatisfactory pattern, you might consider a trip to Turkey, which is seeing an increase in medical tourism from men seeking mustache transplants.

The procedure uses a technique called follicle-hair extraction, in which doctors remove clusters of hair from the more hirsute areas of the body and implant them along the lip or cheeks to magnify a mustache or beef-up a beard. Performed under local anesthetic, the surgery takes around five hours and can cost up to $5,000, cosmetic surgeons say. Tourism agencies have begun offering "transplant packages" combining facial-hair operations with a shopping vacation in Istanbul or beachside retreat on the Mediterranean coast.

The mustachioed and bearded stars of Turkish soap operas—wildly popular across the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans—have helped repopularize facial hair as a symbol of virility and machismo. Surgeons say many patients request the full-bodied mustache worn by Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises, which has long set the standard for top-drawer whiskers. Another popular style is the stubble beard worn by Turkish TV show heartthrob and model Kivanç Tatlitug, surgeons say.

(Tipped by JMG reader Kevin)

Turkish Court: Gay Sex Is Natural

An Istanbul court has contradicted previous Turkish rulings by declaring that gay sex is "natural" and should be respected.  The decision comes, interestingly, from the prosecution of a man who was caught selling gay porn. Via Gay Star News:

Yesterday’s ruling regarded a trader who was caught selling 125 DVDs of gay and group sex porn. The person, known only by his initials, DM, faced up to four years imprisonment according to article 262/2 of the Turkish penal code that prohibits owning, trafficking, distributing and publishing "unnatural sex" videos. Judge Mahmut Erdemli, however, ruled that sexual orientation can not be considered as ‘unnatural’ and should be respected. The ruling contradicted a previous decision of Turkey’s supreme court that did include gay sex in the category of "unnatural sex." In support of his decision Erdemli cited examples of the legality of gay marriages in Europe and North America. Erdemli differentiated gay sex from necrophilia and bistiality which he agreed were right to be classified as "unnatural."

A spokesman for a Turkish LGBT rights group called the ruling "promising."

BULGARIA: Jammed Gun Foils Would-Be Assassination Of Political Leader

Reuters reports:

A man jumped on stage and pointed a gun at the leader of Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish party before security guards wrestled him to the ground during a televised conference on Saturday. Ahmed Dogan, the long-time leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) escaped unscathed, and it was not immediately clear why the attacker had targeted him at the party congress in downtown Sofia. Television footage showed the man jumping out of the audience and interrupting a speech by 58-year-old Dogan, who has led the party for almost a quarter of a century. Security guards were seen beating and kicking the attacker. "Ahmed Dogan is in good health. Everything is under control," MRF official Ceyhan Ibryamov told journalists.

Some reports say the gun was a "gas pistol" which is not considered lethal is most situations. But it probably could be at point-blank range.

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.

On Germans Vs Turk Immigrants

An interesting piece from Al-Jazeera examines how Turkish Ausländer are treated in Germany's media. Turks are the largest ethnic minority in Germany, comprising about 5% of the population.

Turkish Army Demands Proof Of Gayness

The Turkish Army grants a waiver of the mandatory service requirement if you are gay. But you have to prove it to them.

Ahmet, a young man in his 20s, told officials he was gay at the first opportunity after he was called up, as he and other conscripts underwent a health check. "They asked me if I liked football, whether I wore woman's clothes or used woman's perfume," he says. "I had a few days' beard and I am a masculine guy - they told me I didn't look like a normal gay man." He was then asked to provide a picture of himself dressed as a woman "I refused this request," he says. "But I made them another offer, which they accepted." Instead he gave them a photograph of himself kissing another man. Ahmet hopes this will give him what he needs - a "pink certificate", which will declare him homosexual and therefore exempt from military service.

Photo requirement: "The face must be visible, and the photos must show you as the passive partner." The above-linked BBC News report notes that civilian Turkish employers are allowed to ask the army about such waivers.