The Greek Transgender Support Association (GTSA) has condemned a series of violent attacks and murders against transgender women in Turkey and has called on the Turkish Government to respond.

In a statement GTSA said three murders had been recorded, along with a suicide, plus five other separate attacks against trans women in July.

Turkey has one of the highest murder rates for trans people in the world and successful prosecutions remains rare.

On Friday, GTSA attempted to hand a campaign letter to the Turkish Embassy in Athens; however diplomatic staff refused to accept the letter.

It stated: “Turkey, as one of the member countries of the Council of Europe and a candidate member state of the European Union, is obliged to respect the rules of the International Law and the International Conventions it has already signed, that call for the protection of life, honour and dignity of trans people.”

GTSA has called on the Turkish Government to immediately take all appropriate measures in order to protect the lives of trans people through the establishment of hate crime legislation with provision for gender identity.

They also want the police to “thoroughly investigate all killings against trans women” and to bring their killers to justice.