A man in Turkey was sentenced to life imprisonment on February 12 for killing his gay son in July 2012 but his wife seemed more outraged about the shame that was brought upon the family by her son’s queer sexuality. Two years ago, 17-year-old Rosin Cicek, was beaten up and shot in the head, before being thrown away on the side of the road in his hometown.
Cicek had moved in with a friend’s family after he discovered his own family was homophobic and displayed violent tendencies towards homosexuals. After a two-year long trial, a court in Turkey convicted Cecik’s father, Metin, and found his uncles, Seyhmus and Mehmut, guilty of manslaughter. All three were sentenced for life after the court rejected the family’s defense that the death was accidental.
According to local media reports, Cecik’s mother shouted at the press, “If he [Rosin] were gay, I would have killed him with my own hands. You have shamed us.”
Reportedly, the killers made contradictory statements through the trial and claimed not to have committed the crime. However, in the last hearing, Metin confessed to the manslaughter but said that his brother had nothing to do with it.
According to Amnesty International, the rights of the LGBT community remain unaddressed under Turkish law. While the country’s military prohibits gays and lesbians from providing service, little progress has been made over the years to prevent transphobic and homophobic violence in the region.
Photo Credits: Tom Morris
