Turkish ruling AKP MP targets Olympics opening ceremony, deems it 'LGBT, pedophile and satanic propaganda'
In a new hate speech at the Turkish parliament, the ruling AKP deputy Emre Çalışkan targeted the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony for becoming “a propaganda tool of various perverted movements.” He deemed the ceremony “LGBT, pedophile and satanic propaganda.”
Duvar English
In a new homophobic speech, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Nevşehir deputy Emre Çalışkan on July 27 criticized the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.
During his speech at the Turkish parliament, Çalışkan deemed the ceremony “LGBT, pedophile and satanic propaganda.”
“It is difficult to understand whether this ceremony was the opening of the Olympics or a propaganda tool for various perverted movements. A large section of our society reacted to this situation, while others praised these perversions,” Çalışkan claimed.
“The Olympics should be a celebration of years of selfless work by athletes. However, we do not and will not accept these events being used to spread perverted ideologies,” he continued his hate speech.
He also tweeted a video from the ceremony, saying this issue “is not part of sport, but part of capitalism.”
“We are in a period when we will work hard to protect our children, our generation,” he added.
LGBTI+ rights in Turkey have been facing increasing pressure in recent years, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frequently denouncing LGBTI+ individuals as “perverts,” “deviants,” and “viruses,” framing them as antithetical to “family values.”