Turkey’s national women’s volleyball team, achieved a remarkable victory and won a championship at the Volleyball Women’s Nations League (VNL). However, not everyone joined in the celebration. The teams’s player Ebrar Karakurt faced homophobic attacks and was labeled as a “homosexual deviant” accusing her of bringing shame to the national team.
Ebrar Karakurt, a player on Turkey’s national women’s volleyball team, has recently faced homophobic attacks in a nation that is becoming increasingly hostile towards LGBTQ+ individuals. Unfortunately, this is not the first time she has been targeted based on her sexual orientation.
After Karakurt’s team achieved a remarkable victory in the Volleyball Women’s Nations League (VNL) and returned with a gold medal, they received widespread celebration across the nation. People took to social media to praise the team for their success. Subsequently, Karakurt posted a tweet in which she quoted İsmet Özel, a Turkish poet, that said: “Around my neck are jewels made of the shame of those who impose judgment on me, the gold medal.”
However, not everyone joined in the celebration. The newspaper Akit, known for its close ties to the state, noticed the tweet and labeled Karakurt as a “homosexual deviant promoting a perverted lifestyle,” accusing her of bringing shame to the national team by not adhering to the values of Turkish society.
Karakurt responded to them with a sense of humor. As reported by Duvar English, she posted on Instagram, playfully asking, “Even when I sleep on an airplane, I make someone mad… Is my greatness a joke?”
In the face of the attack, Karakurt received an overwhelming show of support from the public.
Family values at the expense of women’s rights
The recent targeting of Karakurt highlights the persistent presence of hate, humiliation, discrimination, and division in Turkey.
The incident involving Karakurt is just one example of the growing anti-LGBTQ+ narrative in Turkey, with conservative groups promoting what they refer to as “family values” at the expense of women’s rights, LGBTQ+ freedoms, safety, and freedom of speech.
Another recent incident on July 17 involved Melisa Caymaz, a university student who unfurled a rainbow flag during her graduation ceremony to draw attention to issues such as femicides, LGBTI+ murders, and attacks on Pride Marches. This act of solidarity resulted in her being targeted by conservatives, receiving death threats, and being labeled a “provocateur” by the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak. The newspaper referred to the act as “LGBT perversion” and criticized it for challenging the “Turkish and Muslim family structure.” Following the incident, the university initiated formal proceedings against the student, and university management described the rainbow flag as a mere rag, insinuating that they were aware of her intention beforehand.
The increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ individuals and the shrinking space for freedom of expression and activism are causing concern for those who value inclusivity and human rights in the country.