Trans Teacher Faces Probe: Turkish MP Questions “Is Being Trans an Obstacle?”

ISTANBUL — A Turkish lawmaker has formally questioned the government over disciplinary proceedings launched against a transgender teacher, sparking a national debate on workplace discrimination. Özgül Saki, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, raised the case of Zoe Lila in parliament on Tuesday. In her official submission, Saki asked: “Is being transgender an obstacle to practicing the teaching profession?” The move follows an investigation initiated by Turkish authorities against Lila, a teacher whose gender identity has become the subject of an administrative probe. While details of the specific allegations against Lila remain unclear, the parliamentary question demands the Ministry of National Education clarify the legal and professional grounds for the action. The case has drawn attention to the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in Turkey, where workplace protections for transgender people remain limited under current law.