Twitter adds warning label to Turkish minister's anti-LGBT tweet
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu's tweet accused "LGBT perverts" protesting in Istanbul of disrespecting Islam.
Twitter says a recent tweet by the Turkish interior minister describing Istanbul protesters as “LGBT perverts” violated the company's rules on hate speech.
Protests erupted last month after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan installed a loyalist to run the prestigious Bogazici University in Istanbul. The clashes with police escalated after protesters last week hung a poster on the campus that depicted Mecca — Islam’s holiest site — with rainbow flags.
As of Tuesday, Turkish authorities had rounded up more than 200 people for protesting Erdogan’s appointee, businessman Melih Bulu. Police in Ankara have arrested at least 69 people for taking part in solidarity protests in the Turkish capital.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but a lack of legal protections for LGBT individuals has led to discrimination and harassment, rights groups say. For the past five years, the Turkish government has banned the annual gay pride march in Istanbul, citing security concerns and more recently the pandemic.
