Police detained over 50 individuals in Istanbul on Sunday before a prohibited LGBTQ+ Pride event, according to the city’s bar association.
“Prior to today’s Istanbul Pride gathering, four of our legal representatives, including members from our Human Rights Centre, along with more than 50 others, were taken into custody under questionable and unlawful circumstances,” the Istanbul Bar’s Human Rights Centre stated on X.
Law enforcement took protesters into custody near the central Ortaköy district earlier that day, as observed by journalists from the press agency AFP.
Istanbul Pride, once a large-scale public event, has faced yearly prohibitions since 2015 under Turkey’s conservative leadership.
“Such actions, which disrupt societal harmony, family values, and traditional ethics, will not be permitted,” Istanbul’s governor, Davut Gül, declared on X the previous day.
“No assembly posing a risk to public order will be allowed,” he added.
Police restricted access to Taksim Square, a frequent site for demonstrations and public gatherings, starting early Sunday.
A video shared on X showed one demonstrator chanting, “We didn’t give up, we came, we believed, we are here,” as she and others fled to evade arrest.
While same-sex relations are legal in Turkey, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment remains prevalent, including among officials. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly labeled LGBTQ+ individuals as a deviation from traditional values.
The crackdown on Istanbul Pride follows Hungary’s unsuccessful attempt to stop its own major Pride event under conservative leadership.
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