A trans doctor in Turkey has been suspended and accused of "disturbing public morality" after she posted photos of herself wearing a bikini on a beach.
As reported by Bianet, not long after Dr. Larin Kayatas started working at Taksim Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, she was reported by a nurse, who complained to the Presidential Communication Center (CIMER).
Kayatas Suspended for 3 Months, Banned from Civil Service
Kayatas tweeted last week to her 53,400 followers that she had been banned from working as a doctor, as well as in the civil service in the wake of the complaint.
The complaint was reportedly related to a series of photos Kayatas had posted on social media showing her wearing a bikini at the beach. "I was suspended for three months upon the complaint of the nurse. I was away from my profession for three months," she wrote in a series of tweets. "When I returned... I answered unnecessary, ridiculous questions in my defence. That process was hard for me."
She said she had been told by officials that her "social media posts were not in line with the public morality, did not befit the behaviours and actions of a civil servant and [that] I was supposed to act morally as a young woman."
Kayatas continued, "They now say that I can no longer do my job where I have managed to exist after all these hardships. How can I accept it?"
"I have worked my whole life to become a doctor,' she said, adding that she had gone through six years of medical school 'and now my future has been shattered," she added. CIMER has not yet publicly given a reason for striking off Kayataş, who said that she has a legal team, and will be challenging her dismissal.
Kayatas Says It was Politically-Motivated
Kayatas believes the decision was purely political and an attempt to discourage members of the country's LGBTQ+ community from pursuing careers in medicine. She also noted she had been targeted at work for years because of her transgender status and her social media posts, where she regularly speaks about the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community in Turkey.
The doctor said she was also questioned over her social media posts in which she encouraged her followers to vote for the opposition party CHP. She tweeted: "Since when is it considered a crime to state that you vote for the CHP in this country and [since when does it] prevent you from working as a doctor?"
Turkey's LGBT+ community has been subjected to several incidents of violence and discrimination under anti-LGBT+ president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In June, a group of attendees of people who attended the Istanbul Pride parage were attacked by a mob of 30 homophobic men, as reported by Pink News.
