A Turkish court has ordered the closure of a GLBT association in Istanbul on the grounds that it violates the country's “public morality” laws.
Created in 1993, Lambda Istanbul was the first closed association in the country, a candidate to join the European Union. Despite being legal, Turkish homosexuals do not have laws that protect them from discrimination.
Bawe Cakir, an activist from the association, says this ruling could backfire on the government “We are in a country where this closure case could backfire on the ruling party. The undemocratic political atmosphere does not leave the door open for tolerance.”
Also according to Bawe, the association will appeal the sentence to the Turkish Court of Appeal and, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights.
Source: El País
