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1st LD: Turkey police break up protesters with tear gas, water cannons

Xinhua, June 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkish police Sunday fired tear gas, plastic bullets and aimed water cannons at thousands of people in order to disperse their march toward Taksim square in Istanbul.

Over 10,000 mostly homosexual individuals, went on a pride parade centered around Taksim square, despite the fact that their request for protest was rejected by the police.

Tensions ran high in Taksim square, which filled up with heavy smoke from the tear gas as over 2,000 police members fought back activists and protesters.

"We refuse to fit the 'normal,' stereotype" stated the Pride Week Committee. "It is not due to nature, nor is it a disease. We are not normal! We do not accept it! We are neither wrong, nor are we alone. We refuse to accept the stoic norms or what is referred to as 'normal.'"

The police crackdown on activists reflects the government's official stance on homosexual culture in the Muslim country.

Turkey's homosexual culture is different from those in western countries, as is the general Turkish culture. Geographically situated at the intersection between Europe and Asia, Turkey was influenced by both Eastern and Western civilizations.

Since the Turkish Republic's foundation in 1923, it has been the only Muslim country in the world where homosexuality is not considered illegal.

There was no significant political pressure on homosexuality during the Ottoman Empire period as well. This distinguishes Turkish homosexual life from that of the rest of the world's. Endit