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Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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MARTIN DIVISEK v EPA
To strengthen the traditional family, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces steps against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people.
"Because a strong nation requires a strong family," said Erdoğan, according to the state news agency Anadolu.
“Lately they've been foisting LGBT society on them.
With LGBT, they seek to degenerate our family structure«.
Therefore one must do "what is necessary".
Although Erdoğan did not name any specific names in his accusation, he is likely referring to the Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who also addresses liberal groups of voters.
He is being traded as a possible candidate for the presidential elections scheduled for June 2023.
Kilicdaroglu immediately responded on Twitter and called Erdoğan a "despot".
Erdoğan made it clear that his hopes for action against LGBT people also rest on the so-called disinformation law: "By passing this law, we will, God willing, put the brakes on them," Erdoğan said, according to Anadolu.
Crackdown on LGBT community
The Turkish President is referring to a planned law that the government says should prevent disinformation on the Internet.
The opposition, on the other hand, fears that it will lead to stricter censorship on the Internet.
The provision still has to be passed by Parliament - on Thursday Parliament had approved some articles of the draft law.
How difficult it is for the LGBT community in Turkey only became apparent in June: At that time, the police cracked down on participants in an officially banned Pride parade in Istanbul.
Demonstrators with rainbow flags had gathered in the streets around Taksim Square.
Hundreds of people were arrested.
The Pride Parade in the Turkish metropolis could take place undisturbed for more than ten years with steadily growing numbers of participants.
The event was banned for the first time in 2015 and was also banned in the following years - officially for safety reasons.
bam/dpa
