Turkish Delight

A tale from the gender reassignment front (from the Sun):

A TURKISH transsexual woman granted UK asylum is having at least £60,000-worth of NHS surgery to become a man called Dennis.

The 33-year-old fled to Britain in 2002 claiming she was being persecuted in her Muslim homeland.

She has now won the right to become a UK resident - and taxpayers' cash will fund her gender-reassignment programme. Identified only as G.O, she was born female but will get a prosthetic penis. Her breasts have been removed and she told friends she wants the name Dennis.

The £60,000 spent already covers the first phase of the complex surgery. She is also having male hormone treatment and shaves her face.

She told a friend: "Once I have an artificial penis I will have the body I always felt I belonged in. Life was terrible in Turkey for someone like me but I'm happy here."

G.O. grew up in a devout Muslim area and claimed she had no option but to flee to a less strict society. She said she would be lynched if she returned to Turkey as a man.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We have an obligation to offer safety to any individual genuinely at risk of persecution and this sort of case would be acceptable."

The Department of Health said: "NHS treatment is free for UK residents and determined through clinical need."

His name is Dennis; the penis's name is Dick.