Turkish authorities detained more than 50 individuals attempting to participate in Istanbul Pride on Sunday, as a decade-long crackdown on the LGBTQ+ event continued.
A significant police presence was deployed across key areas of Istanbul, effectively preventing large gatherings and forcing organisers to repeatedly alter the planned assembly points for the annual march.
Yildiz Tar, editor-in-chief of the LGBTQ+ rights organization and the journal Kaos GL, wrote on X that 54 people were detained at Istanbul Pride, including six lawyers. As of Sunday evening, seven had been released and 47 were still in detention.
The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey, or DISK, announced that at least three journalists were among the detained.
“The palace regime will not be able to stay in power by demonizing the LGBTQ community,” said Kezban Konukcu, Member of Parliament from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, who participated in the event.
Once boasting tens of thousands of participants, Istanbul Pride has been banned since 2015 as the religious conservative Justice and Development Party began playing up to the more conservative elements of its base.
