The age of consent in Turkey is There are no articles on homosexuality in the law but vague references to public morals and public order. The police has the legal right to take anyone who looks suspicious to the police station for interrogation. The general crime level in big cities is among the lowest in Europe.
Nine milliion tourists are expected to visit the country in Turkey is geographically, politically, economically in Europe. The police has wide powers, and some fractions in the police force has close ties with the radical nationalist right-wing groups.
Despite the lack of any organized gay bashing, gays have not been allowed to come out and get organized in an open fashion.
A similar attempt to organize a cultural week in September by Lambda Istanbul was not allowed on the grounds "of public morals". Homosexuality was a rooted tradition in the era of Ottoman Empire which lasted more than five centuries. It is known that some of the sultans had homosexual affairs and public Turkish baths hammams were the common meeting place among men.
There were poets and musicians who were known to be homosexual. These traditions lost their power with the westernization of Turkey which came with the establishment of the Republic in But there is a general acceptance towards effeminate male entertainers. Turkey has a macho culture, and this is reflected in gay attitudes: Traditionally, gays are divided into the active laco and the passive lubunya.
