In July 2008, I posted about Ahmet Yildiz (above, left, with his German-Turkish boyfriend Ibrahim Can), a gay man and also the victim of Turkey's first suspected "honor killing". His father, who is still on the run, has now gone on trial, in absentia, for the murder:
"Yahya Yildiz, 49…is accused of shooting his 26-year-old son
Ahmet in June 2008 after the latter told him about his relationship
with a man from Cologne in Germany. Human rights
organisations were monitoring the start of the case after complaints
were made that Turkish courts did not make enough effort to prosecute
in cases where homosexuals were murdered. Ibrahim Can, the
victim's boyfriend, demanded that those who had helped
the murderer also be prosecuted. But, he said, 'my expectations from
the trial are minimal'. The prosecution claims the family had
not accepted the son's homosexuality. Ahmet, who was about to complete
his training as a physics teacher, had been threatened as a result. The father had hired a car for the murder, which was seen at the scene
of the crime. His mobile phone records showed that he was in the area
where the murder took place, the prosecution said."
Previously…
Gay Man Victim of Suspected 'Honor Killing' in Turkey [tr]
