tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819444802156961103.post43149492570209551..comments2023-07-13T14:06:45.974+01:00Comments on Unzipped: Gay Armenia: Was Ahmet Yildiz the victim of Turkey's first gay honour killing? (The Independent)artmikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11207317653711435445noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819444802156961103.post-41634163470728447792011-12-07T01:21:59.434+00:002011-12-07T01:21:59.434+00:00WOW factor: Diaspora Armenian making gay-themed Tu...<a href="http://gayarmenia.blogspot.com/2011/12/wow-factor-diaspora-armenian-making-gay.html" rel="nofollow">WOW factor: Diaspora Armenian making gay-themed Turkish film, receiving prize for it in Turkey</a>artmikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11207317653711435445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819444802156961103.post-16844448838020501722008-07-22T20:22:00.000+01:002008-07-22T20:22:00.000+01:00More updates - via PinkNews :The body of Ahmet Yil...More updates - via <A HREF="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8449.html#" REL="nofollow">PinkNews</A> :<BR/><BR/>The body of Ahmet Yildiz, Turkey's first suspected victim of a gay "honour killing," has been removed from the city morgue.<BR/><BR/>The remains of the 26-year-old physics student had been left there by his family, a move common in "honour killings" cases.<BR/><BR/>In Turkey only family members of the deceased have rights over the body.<BR/><BR/>While reports say Mr Yildiz's corpse has been collected, no one knows which family member has claimed it. [...]<BR/><BR/>Homophobia in Turkey has always been rife, but according to Mr Yildiz's partner, it has gotten worse over the last four years.<BR/><BR/>He describes homophobia in Turkey to be "unbelievably bad."<BR/><BR/>"I can only speak for the Istanbul area but in the countryside it is much worse. In the country honour plays too strong a role for the family," he said.<BR/><BR/>Mr Yildiz's partner is not optimistic about his chances to bring Ahmet's murderers to justice.<BR/><BR/>"I know the Turkish system. I know I haven't got a leg to stand on. Human rights are known and accepted in the West but are not freely available in Turkey.<BR/><BR/>"I have no claim to his estate and body and cannot even collect my personal belongings from his flat. I cannot even bury my loved one.<BR/><BR/>"Apart from giving my statement to the press, I as an individual have absolutely no chance to bring his parents to justice for this murder of their son and my partner."<BR/><BR/>Mr Yildiz's partner has given statements to the police at the site of Ahmet's murder, as well as handing in a signed statement to the local police station.<BR/><BR/>He fled Turkey the night of Mr Yildiz's murder and has been living in fear of his life since.artmikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11207317653711435445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819444802156961103.post-84079088989308462672008-07-21T21:20:00.000+01:002008-07-21T21:20:00.000+01:00PinkNews reports that "The partner of murdered ga...<A HREF="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8437.html" REL="nofollow">PinkNews reports</A> that "The partner of murdered gay student Ahmet Yildiz has been forced to flee Turkey in fear of his life.[...] <BR/><BR/>His partner, who held a German passport, left the country on the advice of the consulate.<BR/><BR/>He had no rights over his partner's body, which has been left lying in the city morgue."artmikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11207317653711435445noreply@blogger.com