Turkish government drafts anti-LGBTQ+ laws threatening prison for trans people and same-sex couples

Turkey‘s government has revealed the draft of its 11th Judicial Reform Package, which includes a series of updated laws negatively affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

The 11th Judicial Reform Package is the latest collection of proposed legal changes that the Turkish government is presenting to Parliament for consideration, threatening prison for trans people and same-sex couple.

The country has experienced a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric since President Erdoğan took office in 2014, banning Pride marches just one year into his position.

Now observers say that the proposals reflect conservative priorities and introduce significant legal restrictions. 

What are the new anti-LGBTQ+ laws drafted in Turkey?

Under the draft, according to Türkiye Today, anyone who publicly promotes behaviours or identities that are not deemed true to their sex given at birth could face one to three years in prison.

Same-sex couples caught holding engagement or wedding ceremonies could also face prison sentences of one and a half to four years.

Penalties for public sexual acts or exhibitionism have been proposed to increase from six months, one year to one, three years.

The proposed reforms also target the trans community

The proposed reforms also target the trans community, raising the minimum legal age for gender reassignment surgeries from 18 to 25.

Applicants would be required to be unmarried, provide a medical board report confirming the procedure’s psychological necessity, and undergo four separate evaluations spaced at least three months apart before even undergoing the procedure.

Exceptions would be made for individuals with genetic or hormonal disorders causing developmental abnormalities. Performing surgeries outside the legal framework could result in three to seven years in prison and fines.

“Protect families, promote healthy development, and preserve social order” – Turkey’s government on the 11th Judicial Reform Package

Though digital content featuring LGBTQ+ characters or storylines is already a grey area in Turkey, it could face more severe restrictions. An example is the 2024 film Queer, starring former Attitude cover star Omar Apollo and Daniel Craig, which was banned by local authorities at the Istanbul Film Festival after a racy gay sex scene.

Government officials justify the reforms as necessary to their moto: “Protect families, promote healthy development, and preserve social order.”