Authorities Crack Down on LGBTQI+ Community Ahead of Istanbul Pride
Over 50 Arrested Before the March Begins
More than 50 individuals were detained in Istanbul as they attempted to gather for the LGBTQI+ Pride March, which remains officially banned. Arrests took place early in the morning in the Ortaköy district, where a group of demonstrators had begun assembling. According to AFP journalists on the scene, a heavy police presence effectively stopped the event before it could begin.
The Istanbul Bar Association criticized the police operations via a post on platform X, stating: “Four of our colleagues, including members of our Human Rights Center who were present as legal observers, along with over 50 individuals, have been unlawfully and arbitrarily detained.” Advocacy group Stop Homophobia confirmed that journalists and lawyers were among those taken into custody. By the end of the day, only seven had been released, with the vast majority still held by authorities.
Taksim Square Locked Down to Thwart Demonstrations
Police sealed off Taksim Square—an iconic site for public demonstrations in Istanbul—early in the day. The area’s closure aligns with Turkish authorities’ ongoing efforts to suppress public expressions of LGBTQI+ identity. By preventing access to such a symbolic space, the government sent a clear message: any attempt at public assembly would be met with aggressive enforcement.
Pride March Ban Remains Enforced Since 2015
Although homosexuality is legal in Turkey, Istanbul Pride has been banned since 2015. The event was once a vibrant celebration of visibility and acceptance, with the 2014 march drawing over 100,000 participants. Since then, political conditions have grown increasingly hostile under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership. His conservative government frequently frames LGBTQI+ issues as a threat to social cohesion and traditional values.
This year’s ban was again justified with vague references to “calls to demonstrate from marginal groups.” Istanbul Governor Davut Gül stated, “These calls violate societal harmony, the family structure, and moral values. No demonstration or march that threatens public order will be tolerated.”
Activism Persists Despite Harsh Repression
Despite the ban and heightened police pressure, small groups of activists managed to stage symbolic protests. On Sunday, demonstrators waved rainbow flags and chanted slogans calling for liberty and equality. One video posted by the Queer Feminist Collective at Universities on X captured a group being dispersed by police while singing, “We did not back down, we came, we believed, we are here.”
Growing Tensions for LGBTQI+ Rights Across Europe
The situation in Turkey mirrors a broader wave of challenges to LGBTQI+ rights throughout Europe. Just a day earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán attempted to block the annual Budapest Pride. Despite the government’s opposition, nearly 200,000 people turned out in support—far exceeding the usual attendance of 30,000 to 50,000—making it the largest Pride March in Hungary’s history.
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