Head of Psychiatric Association of Turkey Selçuk Candansayar: Sexual Orientation Cannot Be Changed by Pressure
In early October 2026 in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Selçuk Candansayar, President of the Psychiatric Association of Turkey (Türkiye Psikiyatri Derneği, TPD), issued a public statement supporting the civil campaign “We Want Freedom” (Özgürlük İstiyoruz), stressing that sexual orientation is not a medical disorder and cannot be altered through state pressure, threats, or penal sanctions.
According to a report by the independent Turkish news outlet Bianet , Candansayar stated that evidence-based scientific medicine has long affirmed sexual orientation and gender identity as fundamental, natural aspects of human diversity rather than pathologies. Drawing on nearly four decades of clinical psychiatry practice, the association’s president cautioned that forcing individuals to live in concealment, fear, and social stigmatization severely compromises psychological well-being: “A person is mentally healthy only when they can live in harmony with their own existence and identity. Living in fear, stigmatisation, and in hiding directly harms the human psyche.”
Candansayar expressed acute concern over administrative restrictions and judicial measures targeting Turkish LGBTI+ rights groups and organizations specializing in sexual health. He noted that recent court-ordered access blocks in Turkey have also hit the social media channels of the Psychiatric Association of Turkey and allied health institutions. The criminalization of non-governmental groups and scientific bodies, Candansayar warned, cannot erase human identity, but merely forces people underground while impeding access to reliable medical guidance and care: “No one should live in fear because of their identity, civil society organisations must not be criminalised, and no individual should hesitate to seek medical help.”
For their part, Turkish authorities have defended the ongoing law enforcement measures as lawful and necessary. The Ministry of Justice and government representatives maintain that the nationwide operations launched under the initiative “My Family Is Safe” (Ailem Güvende) are aimed at “protecting children, the institution of the family, and public order,” as well as addressing alleged violations of the Law on Associations and unauthorized foreign funding.
Founded in 1995, the Psychiatric Association of Turkey (TPD) is the country’s primary professional medical society for mental health practitioners, representing thousands of psychiatrists and advocating for evidence-based clinical standards, medical ethics, and patients’ rights.
Previously, Urania reported extensively on the launch of the ‘We Want Freedom’ campaign by Turkish rights advocates following mass detentions, judicial blocks targeting LGBT and sexual health resources in Turkey , and the censorship of independent news outlet T24 over its coverage of human rights issues.
