In new hate speech, Turkey’s Erdoğan says ‘imposition of LGBT’ turns into ‘tyranny,’ surpassing ‘even fascism’

Turkey’s President Erdoğan has once again targeted the LGBTI+ community, saying its “imposition has turned into a form of tyranny, oppression and a means of corrupting society that surpasses even fascism.” Erdoğan then said they have done “a lot of work to strengthen the family institution and make it resilient in the face of threats.”

Wednesday June 05 2024 07:27 pm

Duvar English

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 4 once again targeted the LGBTI+ community in the country.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan compared the community with “fascism,” and said, “the imposition of LGBT has turned into a form of tyranny, oppression and a means of corrupting society that surpasses even fascism,” state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Erdoğan said that the family institution as a whole has been through “the toughest test of its history and has been subjected to the heaviest attacks.”

Erdoğan then said they have done “a lot of work to strengthen the family institution and make it resilient in the face of threats.”

“From economic difficulties to urbanization, from individualization to changing perceptions, we see that the family faces serious challenges in many different areas. The recently announced birth statistics for 2023 show that our country is not exempt from these threats,” he said.

“Declining birth rates are alarming in our country as they are worldwide. Hopefully, we will implement new practices in this regard,” he added.

Erdoğan regularly embarks on anti-LGBTI+ and “pro-family” speeches. During general election campaigns, the ruling AKP and the People’s Alliance adopted an increasingly fragrant anti-LGBTI+ rhetoric.

Pride parades are banned and violently dispersed each year. Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but hostility to it is widespread.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have stated on various occasions that they will work on preparing a new constitution, including regulations on “protecting the family structure” against “perverted movements,” targeting the LGBTI+ community in the country.