Turkish police detained at least 30 people in central Istanbul on Sunday during an attempt to hold a Pride parade, despite a years-long ban on LGBTQ+ events in the country, opposition politician Kezban Konukcu of the pro-Kurdish DEM party confirmed.
Videos published by Reuters show police charging at a group of activists carrying rainbow flags, then taking them into police vehicles.
The Istanbul governor’s office had earlier declared the march illegal, saying the organizers were acting “illegally.” Pride parades have been banned in Turkey’s largest city since 2015, saying they pose a threat to public security.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have increasingly used harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community. In January, Erdogan declared 2025 the “Year of the Family,” citing the declining birth rate as an “existential threat” and accusing the LGBTQ+ movement of undermining traditional values.
“The primary target of gender-neutral policies, in which LGBT is used as a weapon, is the family and the sanctity of the family institution,” Erdogan said at the time.
Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have strongly condemned the Turkish authorities’ stance, warning that the government’s rhetoric and repressive measures are contributing to increased discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ people.
Despite the bans, small groups of activists celebrate Pride Week every year, although they face growing pressure and violent police responses, which activists see as part of a broader crackdown on freedom of speech and assembly in Turkey, according to Reuters.
Photo: archive
