15/08/2025 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
Turkey’s government prioritised attacks on LGBT+ people over poverty relief, according to official report obtained by Kaos GL.
KaosGL.org has obtained the 2024 Monitoring Report of Turkey’s Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family, revealing that the Ministry of Family and Social Services has focused more on targeting LGBTI+ rights than addressing poverty or disaster relief. The report also notes the ministry signed agreements with Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates during this period.
LGBTI+ Rights Targeted Over Social Programs
According to the report, the ministry’s “most successful” goal was undermining LGBT+ rights, achieving a 21.1% completion rate for initiatives framed as “strengthening the fight against violence, harmful trends, and practices threatening the family.” By contrast, goals such as increasing family members’ participation in socio-economic life reached only 16.7%, improving access to social services and inter-agency coordination 15%, and developing family-centred approaches in emergencies 15%.
A planned survey on attitudes and experiences related to marriage and parenthood was not carried out due to insufficient budget, while resources were instead directed at objecting to international documents mentioning gender, sexual orientation, or LGBT-related terminology.
Strategy Document on ‘Gender-Neutralisation Projects’
The ministry is reportedly preparing a strategy document aimed at combating so-called “global gender-neutralisation projects.”The report also notes that Turkey’s broadcasting authority, RTÜK, sanctioned content 17 times in six months for allegedly violating “national and moral values, public decency, and family protection principles.”
Looking Abroad: Malaysia as a Model
The ministry reportedly sought guidance from Malaysia to develop a “Family Index.” Malaysia is known for its strict anti-LGBT+ laws, which criminalise consensual same-sex relations under colonial-era “unnatural offences” provisions, with penalties including imprisonment and corporal punishment. Sharia law in some states further penalises public expressions of LGBT+ identities.
International Agreements
The ministry also signed memorandums of understanding with Uzbekistan and the UAE under initiatives described as strengthening the family.
Tags: human rights, family
