Homosexuals in Turkey suffer in order to be exempted from compulsory service

Military service is compulsory for men in Turkey, or eliminated except the sick and the disabled and homosexuals, but homosexuality is proving a lot of humiliation for them.Informed Ahmed, a young man in the third decade, officials in the army like me that at the first opportunity after being summoned to perform military service, during medical examinations of applicants for the service.

Ahmed says: "They asked me if I loved football, and do you wear women's clothes, used women's perfume."Ahmed and asked him to come in dressed in women's clothing, but he refused and offered to give them a picture of him kissing a man.Ahmed says: "They told me that I do not look gay, it was my beard hair visible, and the masculine features."All hope for Ahmed to get a "Certificate of pink" that he had a homosexual, to be exempted from military service.Although there are no specific laws against homosexuality in Turkey, but it does not allow gays to join the army, and they demonstrate abnormalities of the exemption from military service.Gokhan storyGokhan progress leads to military service in the late nineties, but he quickly realized that he could not serve in the army, it was feared weapons. After about a week encourages Gokhan told his commander that he has a certain sexual tendencies.Gokhan says they asked him pictures, gave them what they wanted. After military doctors briefed on the images, Gokhan exempted from military service, but it was a terrible experience for him.Some homosexuals in Turkey that the way to prove it depends on the mood of the doctor or army officers, in some cases, doctors rely on the "personality test".ProblemsTurkish army refused requests from the BBC for an interview on the subject, but retired Gen. Armagan Kulolu and agreed to the suspension.Kulolu says it is clear that homosexuals are causing "systemic problems" within the army, which lead to the need for "facilities and sleeping quarters and areas of special training."He says that if the homosexual is not permissible for him, would enable him to serve in the army, "but when he says that a gay army must make sure that health and that it does not lie to avoid compulsory service in the army."Says psychiatrist previously worked at a military hospital: "doctors are being (in the army) to great pressure from their leaders for the diagnosis of homosexuality, and they obey orders, even though there are no diagnostic tools to determine sexual orientation, and this is impossible, medically, and immoral."Gokhan wrote on the certificate that he was suffering from "mental disorder" and put in parentheses (homosexual).Still known hospitals in Turkey homosexuality between men as a disease.Some people in Turkey that homosexuals were lucky, at least they have a way to avoid military service will not be forced to spend months in a military barracks or face the prospect of a fight Kurdish militants.But life is not easy for the gay, who declare that, where it is common to ask the employers in Turkey applicants for their position on military service. It means to get "pink certificate" that the owner may not accept the job.Discover one of the employers who employ their Gokhan it by asking the army, instead of asking the same Gokhan.Gokhan said that he was some harassment, where his colleagues at work degrading comments they eat, and some people refused to talk to him.Ahmed is expected to resolve his problem, the Army has postponed a decision on granting a certificate and pink for another year.Ahmed is believed that because of his refusal to give a picture of them dressed in women, is not known what will happen when he goes to them again.When asked Ahmed pain not in a position to perform military service without mentioning that a homosexual, he said: "No, I am against the entire military system. And if I had to perform their duty to this country, they should give me the opportunity to choose not to perform military service."

Source: BBC Arabic