Turkish authorities have cancelled Istanbul Pride ahead of the event tomorrow (June 25) amid concerns over safety.
Istanbul governor’s office said that the march to celebrate LGBT equality would not be allowed to go ahead because of fears for tourist and participant safety.
Pride marchers in Turkey (Photo by ZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)
It is the third Pride annual Pride event to be cancelled in a row.
Authorities claimed that the area organisers planned to start the march, Taksim Square, was not suitable or designated for demonstrations.
They also cited a lack of “appropriate” application for the Pride event.
Anti-LGBT groups had threatened “serious reactions” against Pride-goers, causing more safety fears.
Kürşat Mican, head of the ultranationalist right-wing group The Alperen Hearths, said that they would not allow the rally.
“If the state allows it, we will not. We will not allow them to walk. Wherever they march, we’ll also go. We will close down that street and they will not be able to go there. If we want, our numbers can reach 200,000,” Mican said in a statement made earlier this week.
A statement from the Istanbul governor’s office read that there “are serious criticisms against this march and from different fractions of the society on social media”.
They called for residents of Istanbul to “help the security officers by abiding by their calls and warnings”.
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