Turkey's first gay 'honour' killing?
- added July 19, 2008
- 9 responses
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- rwylie
- added this
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One of the most prominent gay figures in Turkey, Anhmet Yildiz, has been fatally shot in a pre-meditated attack by a group of men.
Yildiz, 26, was a physics student, and had attracted notoriety after he represented Turkey at an international gay gathering in San Francisco last year.
This murder is viewed by many as representative of the onflicting social attitudes in Turkey today: between more conservative "old mentalities", and "growing civil liberties". Here it seems that one of these liberties, the right to a life without prejudice, has met vicious opposition.
Turkey's sudden exposure to 'western' mentalities, since it first began to make steps to join the european union in the late 1980s, has lead to an awkward juxtaposition of more progressive thinking with the traditionalist cirlces; who have here expressed themselves in the only way they know how: certainly rational argument has not prved too successful.
Yildiz, 26, was a physics student, and had attracted notoriety after he represented Turkey at an international gay gathering in San Francisco last year.
This murder is viewed by many as representative of the onflicting social attitudes in Turkey today: between more conservative "old mentalities", and "growing civil liberties". Here it seems that one of these liberties, the right to a life without prejudice, has met vicious opposition.
Turkey's sudden exposure to 'western' mentalities, since it first began to make steps to join the european union in the late 1980s, has lead to an awkward juxtaposition of more progressive thinking with the traditionalist cirlces; who have here expressed themselves in the only way they know how: certainly rational argument has not prved too successful.
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rwylie, Turkey made it's formal application to join the European Union in 1987. As of today (2008) it still has not been admitted, partly because of human rights issues such as this. Not sure where you gathered your news from...[?]
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It's a shame, but, then again, if this is the first gay killing, then Turkey is far more progressive on the issue than several "more developed" countries I can think of.
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Extremely interesting convergence of moors and attitudes. Turkey has brutally covered their extremely potent strain of Islamic fundamentalism since Attaturk. Secular at all costs I guess. One could say that if the lines were more distinguishable, then this man wouldn't have even lived in Turkey. If the repression was so great, his sexual tendencies would've brought him to Europe. He could've lived. But their is a "martyr" element here, in a complete twist of the mainstream Islamic understanding. Turkey is a battleground for the battle between progressive liberal (in the classical sense) societies with open democracies with religious freedoms on one side and fundamental readings of the Avrahamic religious texts as a mean to a political end, which prohibit homosexuality, on the other side.
Either way, this man was brave and I mourn for him. Liberty and Acceptance will win out. Bigotry and Tyranny will loose. -
It is such a shame that someone who could have been a great spokesperson for Turkey and an amazing role model for the younger generation had to die for no reason at all.
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- JanaPokana
- 1 month ago
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With Anhmet Yildiz's death, the definition of "Young Turk" may be redefined.
As JudahEvan eloquently stated, there is a martyr element here.
That, in a sad way, is a good thing.-
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- UrbanExodus
- 1 month ago
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Yet another Muslim attack.
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