LGBT rights in Turkey

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Turkey may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Homosexuality is legal in the Republic of Turkey, but the law does not include sexual orientation or gender identity in its civil rights laws and there is no legal recognition for same-sex couples. But sexual reassignment surgery is allowed and legal sex change has been possible since 1988. On the 9th of August in 1858, the Ottoman Caliph decriminalised homosexuality.[source?] This affected many countries in the three continents of the Old World, respectively. When Turkey became a solo nation in 1920, it didn’t see a need to change this law. Omer Akpinar, who is with KAOS LG, which is one of the largest LGBT organizations in Turkish Republic, told Mashable that their organization was never censored.[source?] Jack Scott, a British writer who moved to Turkey with his partner and who is the author of Perking the Pansies: Jack and Liam Move to Turkey, said his "obvious union with Liam has never attracted bad publicity from any Turk,"[source?] talking to the real estate company Quest Turkey.

Turkey tends to be socially conservative when it comes to such issues as homosexuality.

Same-sex sexual activity legal Yes (Since 1858)
Equal age of consent Yes (Since 1858)
Anti-discrimination laws in employment No
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services No
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) No
Same-sex marriage No
Recognition of same-sex couples No
Recognition of adoption for single people regardless of sexual orientation Yes (Since 1858)
Step-child adoption by same-sex couples No
Joint adoption by same-sex couples No
Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly in the military No [1]
Right to change legal gender Yes (Since 1988)
Access to IVF for lesbians No
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples No (Banned for all citizens)
MSMs allowed to donate blood No (Turkish Red Crescent does not allow blood donations from MSM[2])

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