Antalya police attack LGBTI+ Pride March, detain four
Turkish police once again attacked the LGBTI+ Pride March, this time in the southern Antalya province, detaining four people. The Antalya Governorship previously “banned” the march.
Duvar English
Antalya police on July 14 attacked the LGBTI+ Pride March, previously “banned” by the governorship.
The protestors wanted to hold a press statement at Attalos Square despite the ban, saying they have a constitutional right.
Police attacked the group, citing the governorship’s “ban” on all LGBTI+-related demonstrations and marches, and detained four people.
The LGBTI+ advocacy groups have called for the release of four people.
In recent years the government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has toughened its stance on the LGBTI+ community. Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but hostility to it is widespread and police crackdowns on Pride parades have been increasingly tougher over the years.