Under the proposal, anyone who publicly displays or encourages behaviour deemed by the authorities to be “contrary to their biological sex and public morality” could face one to three years in prison. Symbolic engagement or wedding ceremonies between same-sex couples could carry prison sentences of between one and a half and four years. The maximum penalty for public sexual acts would also increase from one to three years.

Access to gender-affirming surgeries would also be further restricted. The minimum age would rise from 18 to 25. Anyone seeking such a procedure would need to be unmarried, undergo four separate medical evaluations spaced three months apart, and obtain a medical report from a Ministry of Health–approved hospital confirming that the surgery is “psychologically necessary”. Doctors performing surgeries outside these conditions could face between three and seven years in prison and fines, according to the draft law.

The government says the measures are intended to protect the “family institution” and ensure the upbringing of “physically and mentally healthy generations.” Critics, however, view the proposal as a serious restriction of fundamental freedoms. Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of the Turkish LGBTQ+ news outlet Kaos GL, described it as “an attack on freedom itself, not only on LGBTQ+ people.”

Abdullah Güler, chair of the parliamentary group of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), stressed that the plan remains only a draft. He said the proposal is still being discussed across various ministries and that international examples are being reviewed before any formal bill is submitted to parliament.