“There will be no losers in such a victory,” he said, standing atop a bus in Istanbul’s Kagithane district.
But clearly there are losers, especially Turkey’s LGBT+ community. They have been systematically targeted by security forces for years, and demonised by the country’s right-wing political leadership in the weeks before the vote. And all signs suggest they will remain a punching bag for Turkey’s right-wing government.
Just minutes after Erdogan’s obligatory pablum on Sunday, his upbeat bus speech took a dark detour. He began accusing the opposition centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP), the nationalist Iyi party and the Kurdish-led People’s Democratic Party (HDP) of being fronts for a nebulous LGBT+ agenda.
“This CHP, are they pro-LGBT?” Erdogan asked the crowd of cheering supporters. “The HDP, are they pro-LGBT? Iyi Party, are they pro-LGBT?” He then referred to his own Justice and Development Party (AKP) and his far-right coalition partner National Movement Party (MHP).
“Could LGBTs infiltrate the AKP? The MHP?” Erdogan roared, in rhetoric that was so clearly provocative that the translator on Al Jazeera International, owned by the president’s Qatari allies, stopped translating it into English. “For us, family is sacred. Nobody can insult the family.”
The post-election rhetoric prompted fears of an even more widespread targeting of a vulnerable minority, and possible violence against individual members of the community.
This story is from the May 30, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 30, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Salah's touchline tantrum hints at deeper Reds split
In a sense, Mohamed Salah's season has come full circle. It started with a display of dissent amid a substitution in London, the Egyptian contriving to rip a rather small bandage into an absurdly high number of pieces when taken off at Chelsea.
Arsenal's derby grit bodes well for draining title race
It was a joke that Mikel Arteta probably wouldn’t have made had this game gone a different way.
Delivery firm Getir to quit UK with 1,500 jobs at risk
Grocery delivery firm Getir is to leave the UK, Europe and the US to focus solely on its home market in Turkey, bringing an end to its rapid expansion across the regions since the pandemic.
Way to go, Michelangelo
'The last decades', a new British Museum exhibition, strives to make the artist's work immersive from the powerful works to the much more saccharine pieces, writes Mark Hudson
No, Jerry, the left and 'PC crap' aren't killing comedy
Seinfeld's rant is ludicrous and ignores the fact the industry has policed itself when it goes too far, writes Adam White
'People say we're destroying football - I think it's absurd'
Humphrey Ker, actor, writer and affable executive director of Wrexham speaks to Jessie Thompson about stress, top-flight ambitions and not being part of the fairytale for much longer
Are airlines getting tighter with their luggage rules?
Q I fly frequently, using different UK airports and airlines. In the past few weeks I have lost count of the number of occasions when angry/upset passengers are told at the departure gate they must pay £40 or £50 for an oversized cabin bag.
Like Clarkson, I decided to reinvent myself in midlife
Ten years ago, Grant Feller watched his salary plummet to less than his teen daughter's nannying job. With no income and no clients, here's how he went from panic to six figures
HANDLE WITH CARE
Oscar winner Emma Stone has expressed a preference for 'Emily' rather than the acting moniker she was forced to adopt early on. Helen Coffey ponders the power of names
Trump and DeSantis 'make peace' after primary feud
Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis have met privately for the first time since their bruising battle in the Republican presidential primaries.
