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Ahmet Yildiz, 26, was shot and fatally wounded last month as he left an Istanbul cafe; in a widely-reprinted article, the UK's Independent newspaper suggests that Yildiz's killing was an "honor killing" motivated by his family's shame about his open homosexuality.

"[Ahmet] fell victim to a war between old mentalities and growing civil liberties," the Independent quotes Sedef Cakmak, identified as a friend and a member of the gay rights lobby group Lambda/Istanbul. "I feel helpless: we are trying to raise awareness of gay rights in this country, but the more visible we become, the more we open ourselves up to this sort of attack."

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Taken as evidence of his family's role in his murder were reports that Yildiz's parents sought to force the physics student to seek a medical cure for his homosexuality, that neighbors reported constant high-volume bickering between Yildiz and his relatives, and that the family refused to claim Yildiz's body after his death. "We've been trying to contact Ahmet's family [all week], to get them to take responsibility for the funeral," one of the victim's friends was quoted by the Independent. "There's no answer, and I don't think they are going to come." The refusal of families to bury their relatives is, reportedly, common after "honor"-related murders.

For news and info about gay activism in Turkey, visit Lambdaistanbul.org.