A court in the Turkish-controlled north of Cyprus , aka North Cyprus, has issued the territory’s first conviction for a hate crime motivated by sexual orientation. Ergun Sunmez received a six-month prison sentence for assaulting his former wife and directing homophobic insults at another woman during the same incident.
The attack took place in September 2023 at the apartment of Sunmez’s former wife, Pinar Tas, in Trikomo. According to local media reports, the couple had divorced five months earlier. Sunmez assaulted Tas and threatened to kill her. Berna Numan was also present and became the target of homophobic remarks.
Tas subsequently reported the assault and obtained a medical report documenting her injuries.
The Trikomo District Court sentenced Sunmez to five months in prison for the assault and a further month for the hate crime against Numan. The court treated the homophobic remarks as a separate offence from the violence and threats directed at his former wife. It also noted that the insults could be heard outside the apartment.
In its ruling, the court said that establishing a hate crime required more than a general intention to commit an offence: the perpetrator had to be motivated by prejudice or hatred concerning the victim’s sexual orientation.
The judges found that Sunmez’s language went beyond insults exchanged during an argument. They concluded that he had intended to publicly marginalise and humiliate Numan and expose her to hostility because of her constitutionally protected freedom concerning sexual orientation.
Homosexuality decriminalised in 2014
The conviction marks a milestone for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which decriminalised consensual sexual relations between men on 7 February 2014. It was the last territory in Europe to repeal its criminal ban on homosexuality. The legislative changes also introduced protections against discrimination and hate crimes based on sexual orientation.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared independence from the Republic of Cyprus in 1983, but is recognised as a state only by Turkey (Türkiye).
Despite the legal changes, same-sex couples still have no legal recognition or adoption rights in the territory. Gay men can also be discharged from the Turkish Cypriot security forces if their sexual orientation becomes known.
