US consul reportedly to marry his Turkish boyfriend

ISTANBUL

U.S. Consul General to Istanbul Charles F. Hunter is preparing to marry his Turkish boyfriend soon in the United States, several Turkish media claimed.

Hunter and his boyfriend, Ramadan Çaysever, have been together since they met at a ceremony in the Crimea Memorial Church in Istanbul.

“As my family, friends and many colleagues know, I am gay. I have been open about that fact for several decades and view sexual orientation as both a private matter and merely one factor contributing to each individual’s uniqueness. I look forward to continuing to represent my country and its values, including tolerance and diversity, throughout my assignment in Turkey,” Hunter told the Hürriyet Daily News on Dec. 12 after reports in the Turkish media.

Çaysever has accompanied Hunter at several meetings and ceremonies since their relationship started. The office of the U.S. Secretary of State approved the marriage after conducting a security investigation into the background of Çaysever, according to reports.  

Gay marriages are not legal in Turkey, although a gay couple in Istanbul recently made headlines after announcing that they had a “symbolic” marriage with an unofficial ceremony.