06/06/2026
.: A Message of Solidarity from Red Ribbon Istanbul and Positive Living Association :..
We are going through a period in which the negative impacts of global political and economic developments are being felt ever more intensely. This challenging process directly affects all components of civil society, particularly organisations working in the field of HIV and AIDS.
In this context, the volunteer board chairs of Red Ribbon Istanbul and the Positive Living Association, both of which have been carrying out pioneering work in the field of HIV and AIDS in Türkiye for many years, came together to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the current situation.
The meeting addressed the sustainability of existing services, the revisions needed in long term strategies, the necessity of repositioning in order to adapt to changing conditions, and how all these processes can be managed with the least possible impact on the communities we serve.
The Positive Living Association, the most senior civil society organisation in the field of HIV and AIDS in Türkiye, had recently announced that it was obliged to suspend a significant portion of its support centre services due to financial difficulties. Similarly, Red Ribbon Istanbul, an organisation that has transformed the field and, with its influence particularly on international platforms, has become the global face of Türkiye's HIV and AIDS response, also shared with the public a few months ago that it had temporarily suspended some of its counselling services.
While current conditions may necessitate such decisions, we also believe that these very conditions can create important opportunities for new collaborations, collective wisdom and solidarity. Because moving beyond institutional reserves and acting with shared responsibility is a need that is more apparent and urgent today than ever before.
With this motivation, the meeting evaluated possibilities for restructuring the suspended services and bringing them back to life in a sustainable manner, potential future risks and needs, and joint working models capable of responding to those needs.
We hope that this difficult period we are going through will turn into new possibilities that strengthen solidarity, increase collaboration and prioritise community benefit.
In this spirit, we invite all civil society organisations, initiatives, stakeholders and our members working in the field of HIV and AIDS to take part in this picture, to think together, to produce together and to grow solidarity.
Because we believe that what makes institutions strong, what enables them to stand firm by revealing their genuine value and true character, is not resources alone, but a collective world of meaning and values united around a common purpose, and a strong shared will.
We thank the volunteer board chairs Arda Karapinar Panosian and S. Omay, who came together on behalf of these two civil society organisations, demonstrating this strong will, and we invite all stakeholders who wish to be part of this picture to expand solidarity.
Should you, as part of our international community, wish to receive further and more detailed information on the subject and to discuss possibilities and options for solidarity, you may write to us at [email protected].
Red Ribbon Istanbul and Positive Living Association