Turkey rejects criticism of 'anti-LGBTQI rhetoric'

The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded on Thursday to the international outcry over its handling of monthlong student protests at one of the country's top universities. In a statement, it warned outsiders to not get involved in Turkey's internal affairs.

The statement followed condemnation by the US, EU and the United Nations of Turkey's response to the protests. Riot police clashed with students at Istanbul's Bogazici University, detaining hundreds and even carrying out raids on individuals' homes.

President Recip Tayyip Erdogan and other officials drew ire for their "anti-LGBTQI rhetoric" in response to the protests, which have been calling for the resignation of Erdogan's ally Melih Bulu, who was installed as the head of the university at the beginning of the year.

"We warn certain circles not to use language provoking groups that resort to illegal ways and encourage illegal actions," the Foreign Ministry said, without naming specific countries.

"It is nobody's place to intervene in Turkey's internal affairs," the statement said.

Condemnation of homophobia and transphobia

President Erdogan had said that there is "no such thing" as LGBT while Interior Minister Soluyman Soylu called some of the protesting students "LGBT perverts."

Several students were arrested on charges of inciting hatred and insulting religious values after making a poster showing Islam's most sacred site with LGBT flags.

"We are concerned by detentions of students and other demonstrators and strongly condemn the anti-LGBTQI rhetoric surrounding the demonstrations,'' said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday.

The UN Human Rights office called for the immediate release of the detained students in a tweet, condemning the "homophobic & transphobic comments by officials, inciting hatred & discrimination against LGBT people."

Protesters circumvent censorhip

Erdogan appointed the 51-year-old Bulu as university rector by personal decree, a move which many students and professors saw as an infringement of academic freedom and in violation of the democratic values of the university.

Students having been demanding the right to vote for their own rector.

The Interior Ministry announced Thursday that police detained a total of 528 people over the protests, of whom 498 have since been released. Of those in custody, at least 22 people have links to terrorist organizations, said ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli.

Support for the protest was mobilized over social media, as well as the new Clubhouse app, in an attempt to circumvent strict censorship of traditional media. Social media users have also been sharing videos of the harsh response by police against protesters, although these images are not being shared by pro-government media.

ab/nm (AP, Reuters)