In the series of “Rights”, which we initiated by saying that “Now, it is high time”, our second guest is Öztürk Türkdoğan, Co-Chair of the Human Rights Association (IHD). We discussed the brief history of the relation between human rights struggle and LGBT rights in Turkey with Türkdoğan today.

Unlike the discrimination and segregations in advocacy in the past, Türkdoğan states that they have an uncompromising understanding of advocacy today and emphasizes that human rights and rights and freedoms cannot be negotiated any time, in hierarchical order and states that, “We could not tolerate those who do not defend the LGBTI rights”.

A few weeks after we made an interview with Türkdoğan, we faced a process that was initiated by the hate sermon of Religious Affair Authority: Diyanet. IHD Ankara Branch also filed a criminal complaint against Diyanet; IHD Headquarters published a public statement.

In this interview, we provide you with an inside about the history of human rights movement until the sermon of Diyanet...

As the Human Rights Association, you have been fighting for human rights for more than 30 years. Have LGBTI+ people been involved in your administrative process during this period, if not, what was the reason? Are you planning any future studies in that regard?

The Human Rights Association was founded in 1986. It is still Turkey’s oldest and most widespread human rights organization. In general, it adresses human rights and freedoms, conducts its studies mainly through commissions and continues its work on the basis of the applications made. Read more via KAOSGL