Türkiye - June 2023

At least 113 protesters who assembled in an effort to hold a banned Pride March were detained and later released by the Istanbul police. Pride marches and events were banned for a ninth consecutive year in Istanbul, with the governor of Istanbul declaring that no activities that “weaken the institution of the family” would be allowed to take place and asking citizens not to join but to criticize such actions. LGBTQIA+ parades and events were banned across the country during the Pride month, with at least 52 protesters detained in Izmir. Despite court decisions in the last three years having found that these bans were unlawful and violate the Turkish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, this year’s bans have again breached the protesters’ right of peaceful assembly. In June, an official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said they have brought up a constitutional amendment proposal that aims at shutting down all LGBTQIA+ associations in Türkiye.

Sources: Twitter (Davut Gül), Duvar (1), Duvar (2),  Human Rights Watch