Pink certificate
The first piece of LGBTQ legislation was passed during the Ottoman Caliphate, when homosexuality, köçekler (young dancer slaves) and sodomy were decriminalized in 1858, as part of wider reforms during the Tanzimat.
In spring 2010, Turkey's Minister of State Responsible for Women and Family Affairs, Selma Aliye Kavaf, attracted much media attention when she made a controversial statement during an interview with the daily Hürriyet newspaper: "I believe that homosexuality is a biological disorder, a disease.
"[4] This sparked national as well as international interest in the state of LGBT rights and individuals in Turkey for a brief time as a reaction: LGBT activists organized a march on İstiklal Avenue to call for an apology, homosexuality became a topic of discussion on a public level,[5] and international media outlets criticized the statement, as well as Turkey's stance on homosexuality.
[7] In 2013, the Istanbul Pride march consisted of over 100,000 people, due in large part to the Gezi Park protests taking place at the same time.
[citation needed] The Military Health Regulation for the Turkish Armed Forces looks to the 1968 American Psychiatrists Association's definition of homosexuality as a disease in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual released that year.
In order to receive this report, individuals have to "prove their homosexuality," undergoing what the Human Rights Watch calls "humiliating and degrading" examinations and tests.
The system has been undergoing change for the past few years: Lambda Istanbul's lawyer Fırat Söyle stated in 2012 that the rectal examinations, and the photographic evidence of anal intercourse have been dismissed as requirements when they gained worldwide and national media attention.
The individual may even be confined to stay in the psychiatry ward for a short period of time, in a dormitory nicknamed "pink dorms," if he is not considered to be effeminate enough, and a chance of recovery is recognized.
To undergo the examinations as a draftee, one must procure a written approval from the family doctor, and then go back to the military ward in order to receive a date for an appointment.
[18] The process correlates sexual orientation with arbitrary factors, such as "feminine" qualities or "promiscuity," and propagates false narratives, homophobia and violence, inside and outside of the military.
[19] The involvement of family members means homosexuals are forced to come out, the pressure of which might deter the option to acquire the pink certificate, and continue military service hiding their identity.
[20] Furthermore, mandatory military service holds a very honorable place in Turkish culture, and not participating in this rite of passage carries a huge social stigma.
The stigma stays with the individual for a lifetime, severely damaging the possibility of being hired, as employers typically request proof that the employee has done their military service.
