Turkey’s government is preparing to introduce sweeping new legislation that would dramatically expand restrictions on LGBTQ+ freedoms, according to leaked details of a draft bill shared by T24 journalist Ceren Bayar.
The proposed 11th Judicial Package, expected to be submitted to Parliament in the coming weeks, would criminalise expressions of gender and sexuality deemed “contrary to biological sex and general morality.”
Under the draft, anyone behaving in a way “contrary to their biological sex assigned at birth” could face one to three years in prison, marking a major escalation in the Erdoğan government’s ongoing crackdown on queer and trans communities.
“Protecting the Family” — by Policing Identity
Same-sex activity remains technically legal in Turkey, but the country provides no recognition of same-sex marriage, partnerships, or adoption rights.
The new bill proposes amendments to Article 225 of the Turkish Penal Code (“Immodest Acts”), dramatically expanding its reach to criminalise gender expression and non-heteronormative behaviour.
The draft claims these laws are necessary to “protect the family institution and social structure” by combating “trends of standardisation and gender neutralisation.”
According to the leaked text, the government says the changes will help “raise physically and mentally healthy individuals and generations.”
Trans Rights Rolled Back
The bill would also significantly restrict gender-affirming healthcare, increasing the legal age for surgery from 18 to 25 and imposing new barriers.
Under the proposed changes, trans people would have to:
- Be unmarried
- Be sterilised
- Receive a medical diagnosis confirming the “necessity of gender reassignment in terms of mental health”
Doctors or surgeons performing gender-affirming procedures without meeting these criteria could face three to seven years in prison and fines of up to 10,000 days’ wages.
Same-Sex Unions Criminalised
Another major provision would make it illegal for same-sex couples to hold marriage or engagement ceremonies, with participants facing between 18 months and four years in prison.
Meanwhile, sentences for “public indecency” — including “open sexual intercourse or exhibitionism” — would be extended from six months to three years.
“Year of the Family” — A Year of Persecution
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly targeted LGBTQ+ people, calling them “perverse” and a threat to Turkey’s social fabric.
In January, he declared 2025 the “Year of the Family”, pledging to promote traditional values, increase the birth rate, and clamp down on “LGBT ideology.”
“It is our common responsibility to protect our children and youth from harmful trends and perverse ideologies,” Erdoğan said.
“Neoliberal cultural trends… lead to LGBT and other movements gaining ground. The target of gender-neutralisation policies is the family.”
In October 2023, Erdoğan told supporters at an AK Party congress:
“We do not recognise LGBT. Whoever recognises LGBT can go and march with them. We will dry the roots of sneaky acts aiming to destroy our family institution.”
Global Condemnation Expected
Human rights groups are preparing to respond to the legislation, which they say would violate international human rights treaties to which Turkey is a signatory, including the European Convention on Human Rights.
Turkey already ranks among the lowest in Europe for LGBTQ+ equality, scoring just 5 out of 100 on ILGA-Europe’s 2024 Rainbow Map.
The country has banned Pride parades since 2015, with hundreds arrested each year for marching in defiance.
