Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Speaking at an AK Party congress in Ankara, Tayyip Erdogan said neither his party, nor their allies, recognised the LGBTQ community.
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he did not “recognise LGBT” and vowed to combat “perverse” trends in society that aim to destroy the institution of family in the country. Turkey’s government, led by Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party, has toughened its stance on LGBTQ freedoms in recent months. While homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, hostility to it is widespread in the country as police crackdowns on Pride parades have become tougher over the years.
Speaking at an AK Party congress in Ankara, Tayyip Erdogan said neither his party, nor their allies, recognised the LGBTQ community.
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“We do not recognise LGBT. Whoever recognises LGBT can go and march with them. We are members of a structure that holds the institution of family solid, that strongly embraces the family institution,” he said.
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“We will dry the roots of sneaky acts aiming to destroy our family institution by supporting perverse political, social and individual trends,” he added.
After the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Tayyip Erdogan complained that he was uncomfortable with the use of “LGBT colours” at the UN, which was decorated with bright colours promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.
Earlier as well, Turkey’s president has frequently labeled members of the LGBTQ community as “deviants”.