Iranian homosexuals flee to Turkey to escape torture and execution

Turkey harbouring Iranian homosexuals who managed to escape torture and execution from Iran where homosexuality is illegal and if proven, punished by execution.

According to an article by the Washington Post Turkey is harbouring at least 92 homosexuals who managed to flee Iran as there are no visa required to pass from Iran to Turkey.

Most of the Iranian refugees have been placed by the Turkish government in the city of Kayersi, which is situated in Central East Turkey and is also the area where thousands of Iranian immigrants who fled Iran over the much disputed June presidential election, are situated.

Though, according to the Washington Post and some other newspapers, the Iranian homosexuals fear harassment and are told to lay low, there are no such credible findings on the matter.

Many of the Iranian homosexuals are trying to flee to first world countries, especially the Unites States as their living conditions in Kayseri are not adequate just like the living conditions of the Turkish citizens in the city are not.

Turkey never the less provides a much safer heaven for the Iranian lesbians and gays who were reportedly threatened by the Iranian government, co-workers, security officials and blackmailers who used them for sexual favours.

There are no official figures of the amount of homosexuals in Iran but rough estimates put the figure at about 200,000 in the country populated by 66 million people.

The figure comes by rough estimates from people who want sex change operations and the psychological reports of men going to the Iranian armed forces which is compulsory in the country.

Sex-change is legal in Iran and according to findings, many men opt to be operated on to be with the man or woman they love and to avoid harsh penalties.

The report comes three years after Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the Colombian University that “there are no gays in Iran, we do not have this phenomena.” to a crowed of students laughing and heckling to his comments.

There are currently 1,356 known Iranian immigrants in Turkey who mostly fled to the country as political asylum seekers or homosexuals fleeing from execution. According to estimates by Human Rights groups, approximately 4,000 Iranian homosexuals have been executed since the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Source: National Turk, April 26, 2010

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