State Department condemns Turkey's anti-LGBT rhetoric against protesters
Turkey's president and other officials have used inflammatory anti-gay rhetoric to describe the student-led protests in Istanbul.
The new US administration is concerned by the treatment of student protesters in Turkey and condemns the anti-LGBT rhetoric sparked by the ongoing demonstrations, the State Department said on Wednesday.
Students at Istanbul’s Bogazici University have been protesting since last month, when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed a loyalist with links to his ruling Justice and Development Party to serve as the prestigious university’s rector. The clashes with police escalated last week after protesters hung a poster on the campus that depicted the holy Kaaba building in Mecca with rainbow flags.
Two students were arrested in connection with the LGBT-themed artwork and another two were placed under house arrest. Turkish authorities have arrested more than 300 people for their participation in the rallies.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu blasted the ongoing protests on Tuesday, tweeting that “LGBT perverts” had disrespected Islam. Twitter later added a warning label to the tweet for violating the company’s rules on hateful conduct.
