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Geographic Area: Türkiye

  • Policy Paper: Inclusion Policy Document for the Private Sector

    Policy Paper: Inclusion Policy Document for the Private Sector

    This policy paper explores the socio-economic position of LGBTQI+ people in Türkiye, focusing on employment, workplace discrimination, access to protection, and the implementation of labour and equality legislation.

    It presents key findings from the national context and provides practical recommendations for institutions, employers, civil society organisations, trade unions, and other stakeholders working to advance equality and create safer and more inclusive workplaces.

    This publication was produced within the framework of the project Working Safe: Socio-economic Inclusion of the LGBTQI+ Community in the Western Balkans and Türkiye, which is implemented by ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Türkiye, in partnership with Queer Montenegro, Tuzla Open Center from BiH, Open Mind Spectrum Albania, Center for Social Group Development from Kosovo, Coalition Margins from North Macedonia, Izađi from Serbia and Kaos GL from Türkiye. This project is funded by the European Union.

    This material was produced with the assistance of ERA and the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and the implementing organisation and do not necessarily reflect the views of ERA or the European Union. 

  • Call for Proposals

    We open the Call for Proposals for the support to projects of civil society organisations (CSO) in Western Balkans and Türkiye

    Project proposals should promote and support the social inclusion and fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ persons in all spheres of public and private life. The objective of this call is to support local initiatives that advance equality and empower LGBTQI+ communities, by strengthening the role and capacities of LGBTQI+-led civil society.

    The overall aim is to contribute to further socio-economic inclusion of the LGBTQI+ community and participation in the public sphere in the Western Balkans and Türkiye. The objective is to strengthen the civil society organizations’ role and capacities to advocate, deliver services, raise public awareness and/or provide other types of support to the LGBTQI+ population in pursuing their rights and equal opportunities.

    Project proposal shall be submitted no later than 2 November 2025, 17:00 (CET).

    In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must fulfil criteria as follows:
    • Be a legal person;
    • Be non-profit-making;
    • Be a civil society organisation (CSO) or a representative network of CSOs working on
    one or more thematic areas of relevance to this Call for Proposals

    • be established in an IPA III Beneficiary under the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance – the IPA III Beneficiaries taken into consideration for the present call for proposals are: The Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, The Republic of North Macedonia, The Republic of Serbia, The Republic of Türkiye
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with their possible co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary and
    • have as a minimum two years (i.e. 24 months) experience in the field of the Call. In case the lead applicant is a network of CSOs, this applies also to its members and

    Applications must be submitted with filled: Application Form (Annex I) Budget Proposals (Annex II) and Logical Framework Matrix (Annex III).

    Please read carefully detailed Guidelines prior to filling in these forms.

    A comprehensive capacity-building programme in project management and related issues will be provided to supported CSOs.

    Applications, along with the accompanying technical documentation, shall be sent to e-mail grants@old.lgbti-era.org, with subject “CfP for CSOs in WB and TR – Working Safe”. If needed, further information can be obtained by sending the question to grants@old.lgbti-era.org no later than 12 October 2025 17:00.

    A total of EUR 400,000 will be allocated to CSOs through this call. The amount of funds that can be allocated for an individual project under this Call can be a maximum of EUR 40,000.

    The project Working Safe: Socio-economic Inclusion of the LGBTQI+ Community in the Western Balkans and Türkiye, which is implemented by ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Türkiye, in partnership with Queer Montenegro, Tuzla Open Center from BiH, Open Mind Spectrum Albania, Center for Social Group Development from Kosovo, Coalition Margins from North Macedonia, Izađi from Serbia and Kaos GL from Türkiye. This project is funded by the European Union.

    This call was produced with the assistance of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the implementing organisation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. 

  • Guide for trade unions on engaging with LGBTI+ workers in the Western Balkans

    Guide for trade unions on engaging with LGBTI+ workers in the Western Balkans

    Since 2018 ERA has been dedicated to understanding and mitigating challenges that LGBTI+ people face in accessing their socio-economic rights. Studies show that workers’ rights in the Western Balkans region are far from protected. They are the first in line when austerity measures, pandemics and exploitative employers hit. When the element of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics is added, the challenges increase. Thus, to protect worker’s rights effectively, there is a need to start thinking and acting through the lenses of those that are most marginalized, including LGBTI+ people, people with disabilities, people from poor backgrounds or people coming from ethnic minorities. These groups are all an integral part of the society, of labour relations and finally of the fight for workers’ rights. 

    The reports published by regional and international organizations show significant disadvantaged positions for the LGBTI+ workers compared to the others. The World Bank’s 2018 survey shows that 41% of LGBTI+ people had witnessed negative attitudes, comments, and conduct toward LGBTI+ colleagues, 14% had personally experienced such comments or conduct, and 16% had experienced unequal treatment with respect to employment conditions or benefits. Considering the fact that only 24% of LGBTI+ workers are open about being LGBTI+ at their workplace at regional level (which is higher than in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia). Furthermore, under the influence of overall stigma, exclusion and discrimination in the society, as well as the limited political representation of the LGBTI+ people, Trade Unions in the region do not include LGBTI+ people in the programs or their internal procedures. Thus, LGBTI+ workers’ rights remain unprotected even though they contribute towards the economy and development like all other workers. 

    In 2021, ERA in cooperation with the Solidarity Center, Solidarnost and other regional actors, has organized trainings and workshops for the trade unions in the Western Balkans. During these events, the Unions showed an openness to advance their work to better understand and represent LGBTI+ workers’ needs accordingly. Furthermore, they acknowledged that most of them face a lack of resources as well as knowledge on this topic. In the period 2019-2020 ERA conducted a needs assessment with Trade Union representatives from across the Western Balkans region. Almost all of them expressed a need for resources and materials on LGBTI+ worker’s issues, for trainings and workshops with the LGBTI+ community, and to know how they can help and assist the community from their perspective. 

    Therefore, this guide has been developed by ERA to provide easier access to information on LGBTI+ workers’ rights for trade union leaders and their members in the Western Balkans region. The guide will include information on the specific needs and concerns LGBTI+ workers face and it will share global and regional good practices on union engagement with LGBTI+ rights. Such practices show that union engagement on this topic is extremely important and beneficial for both communities. And that is relevant both from a worker’s rights perspective and on moral and ethical grounds because LGBTI+ people have the right to live in freedom and dignity just like everyone else. 

    This publication has been supported by the International Center Olof Palme and financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, SIDA. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of International Center Olof Palme and SIDA.