15/11/2025 | Writer: Kaos GL
Halide Türkoğlu, DEM Party Diyarbakır MP, spoke during the Family Ministry’s budget discussions.
Budget and final account deliberations for the Ministry of Family and Social Services’ 2026 fiscal year were held at the Grand National Assembly’s Planning and Budget Commission.
The Commission convened under the chairmanship of AKP Samsun MP Mehmet Muş.
At the meeting, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stated that “strengthening the institution of the family has become a societal priority,” adding, “The Year of the Family will be a turning point that strengthens the family institution and revitalises family values and solidarity.”
HDP’s (DEM Party) Diyarbakır MP and Women’s Assembly Spokesperson Halide Türkoğlu also spoke at the Commission. Türkoğlu underlined that the ministry’s budget is not “a budget allocated for a life free of violence and exploitation” and said:
“A ministry that defines Women-who make up half of Society-not as subjects of life but through men within an institutional framework is certainly not a ministry for women. The budget allocated to this ministry cannot be a budget for women, for women’s equality and freedom, or for a life free of violence and exploitation.”
“Crimes committed against different sexual orientations and identities occurred with the ministry’s cooperation”
Türkoğlu stressed that they have repeatedly said the ministry’s budget should be gender-sensitive, adding that the government’s stance on this issue has not changed.
Drawing attention to crimes committed against women and LGBTI+ people, Türkoğlu continued:
“In the first nine months of this year, crimes committed against women and against people with different sexual orientations and identities were carried out directly through institutions under your government and in cooperation with your ministry. In particular, women have been targeted through the fatwas read in Friday sermons prepared by the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). These fatwas have attacked women’s rights to inheritance, their right to life, and their right to have a say and make decisions over their own bodies. I ask you: Are you not disturbed that women’s hard-won inheritance rights are being targeted by Diyanet? Why does your ministry not utter a single word on this issue? We know the answer-because Diyanet’s fatwas targeting women are not independent from your attacks on the concept of ‘gender.’”
The ministry’s anti-gender directive on the budget agenda: “A shameful document”
Türkoğlu recalled the ministry directive sent to the governorates of all 81 provinces instructing them not to use the terms “gender,” “gender identity,” “sexual orientation,” and “LGBT,” calling it “a shameful document”:“The circular orders the removal of certain concepts related to gender from educational and policy documents. I truly want to ask: Given that this circular did not go out without your ministry’s approval, why is a concept aimed at addressing discrimination and inequality experienced by women being targeted? Indeed, the justification for removing the concept in the circular is framed with male-dominated codes, but I want to underline a few things by linking this circular to the budget: At the root of the violence, poverty, and unemployment experienced by women lies sexism and gender discrimination — and the only way to effectively combat this violence, discrimination, and inequality is to ensure that all policies are guided by gender equality. This applies not only to your ministry’s budget but to the entire budget. Any other approach only fuels this sexism and gender inequality.”
Click-The budget proposal allocates 21 billion lira to “protection of the family”
Tags: human rights, women, media, lgbti
