On Monday, the Turkish women’s volleyball team won the Nations League. 3-1 against the Chinese, a victory like a poem. At least for Ebrar Karakurt. “Jewels around my neck, made of the shame of those who judge me, the gold medal” quoted the 23-year-old diagonal attacker from a poem by Ismet Özel.
support from society
The tweet sat. “National disgrace,” ranted the publication Akit, that Ebrar Karakurt was a “homosexual deviant who imposes her perverse lifestyle on others,” which “violates the values of Turkish society.”
Ever since she shared a photo of her partner and herself on Instagram almost two years ago, Ebrar Karakurt has been the target of hatred from both the center and the fringes of those circles that could lose power and influence in Turkey with the acceptance of liberal social norms.
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The echo of the homophobic reception of poem quotations shows that Turkish society is more progressive and tolerant than the tolerated media, and that Ebrar Karakurt is by no means on his own. “Ebrar, you are our pride”, tweeted singer and songwriter Nazan Öncel“in times when girls should be denied education and women should be tied to the house.”
