From as far back as 1858, homosexual activity has been legal in Turkey, and the former Ottoman Empire. While discrimination is certainly present, Turkey is still seen as relatively tolerant compared to other Muslim-majority countries. However since 2014 under the current conservative President Erdoğan, LGBTI rights have been jolted backwards.

It’s clear the LGBT community is not alone – with attacks on the rights of women, opposition political candidates and the ethnic minority Kurd population. The latest flashpoint has been student groups at Universities, where student protests have led to direct targeting of LGBT students and their supporters. Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey Director for Human Rights Watch, joins us tonight to bring us up-to-date.