Hande Kader was an LGBT rights activist (Picture: Facebook/Hande Kader)

This is Hande Kader.

She was a brave LGBT campaigner in Turkey, where campaigners say hate crimes are becoming more and more common.

This week her charred body was discovered as it emerged she had been raped and murdered.

The 22-year-old trans woman’s death has sparked widespread calls for greater protection for Turkey’s LGBT population.


Hande was working as a sex worker, and was last seen getting into the car of a client.

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Her body was found burned and mutilated in the Zekeruyahoy neighbourhood in Istanbul.



Since her death, LGBT rights campaigners have been using the hashtag #HandeKadereSesVer – which means ‘Make some noise for Hande Kader’.

Hande had become a symbolic figure in Turkey after facing down a police water cannon during last year’s Gay Pride march in Istanbul.

Her murder comes less than a fortnight after the death of gay Syrian refugee Muhammed Wisam Sankari, who was found decapitated after being raped.

So sad how there are people that think beating, raping and burning someone to death is okay but being a trans isn't?? #HandeKadereSesVer — malika☽ (@malikagrande) August 18, 2016

she was raped and beaten up before they set her on fire. do not let the world ignore this. #HandeKadereSesVer pic.twitter.com/7Ok94g2n3T — 207R57 (@sarahsniehaus) August 18, 2016

Emirhan Deniz Çelebi, the director of LGBT organisation SPoD, based in Istanbul, said after the killing: ‘We are being murdered and they do not hear our voices, because the rules in Turkey don’t protect us.’

And lawyer Levent Pişkin said a crackdown after the recent attempted coup in Turkey have made LGBT people feel more vulnerable.

‘Actually, LGBT people in Turkey have never had legal rights,’ he said.

‘But we knew there were judicial mechanisms to support us. Nowadays, most people feel more vulnerable.’

HATE İS A CHOİCE

BEİNG TRANS İS NOT! STOP THE HATE.

SHOW RESPECT!#HandeKadereSesVer pic.twitter.com/w3iBXVnNZm — ʍεrαl (@TurkulerSevdam) August 17, 2016

A joint statement by local LGBT organisations demanded justice, stating: ‘We feel great anger: our beloved friend Hande Kader was burned to death… Hande was a person who raised her voice against hate crimes and encouraged everyone to raise their voices too.

‘We are constantly shouting at LGBTI+ Prides, Trans Prides and other protests that homophobic and transphobic statements are leading to hate crimes, murderers often escape unpunished, and hate crime laws are urgent. ‘Unfortunately, our Prides have been banned in the last two years, yet we need to be seen, to be on the streets and to shout our demands in order to end hate crimes… ‘We demand justice for all that lost their lives for being a woman, a trans or a gay.’ A march is being held from Tunel to Galatasaray on Sunday evening urging people to stand up against hate crimes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video