The annual Pride March has been banned in Istanbul since 2015, but demonstrators still gather in Taksim and Istiklal every year and clash with authorities.
To circumvent the ban, a group of more than 100 people gathered in the Suadiye neighborhood across town. The demonstrators waved rainbow flags and read a statement, before quickly dispersing when police arrived. The Istanbul Pride Committee said that there were “unconfirmed” reports of at least 15 protesters being detained.
Images on social media showed protesters holding pride flags and calling for an end to “polarization” and anti-LGBTQ+ language used by Turkish politicians.
Turkey previously was one of the few Muslim-majority countries to allow Pride marches. The first was held in 2003, the year after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party came to power.
In recent years, the government has adopted a harsh approach to public events by groups that don't represent its religiously conservative views.
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