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Rabat – Turkish authorities released on Monday nearly 400 activists who were arrested and detained during a banned Pride March that took place in Istanbul on Sunday.
The Turkish Kaos GL Association, which seeks to promote the rights of LGBTQ people in the country, said in a tweet that all the 373 people detained by police have been released “after a night at custody.”
An AFP photographer was also detained and released later on Sunday. And AFP journalists have said that Turkish police prevented the media from filming the arrests that occurred during the banned Pride March.
Dozens of LGBTQ+ activists gathered on Sunday to celebrate the Pride parade despite the Turkish government issuing a seven-day ban on public demonstrations ahead of the march.
Turkish police were quick to break up the crowd in Istanbul, preventing several protesters from waving the rainbow flags and celebrating the parade.
Similar scenario happened last year as well, and police cracked down on the event, using tear gas to disperse the protesters and detaining several for taking part in the march.
The last Pride March in Istanbul dates back to 2014 and saw the participation of more than 100,000 people.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Istanbul’s governor bans the march from taking place. Several other LGBT-related events have been banned in recent years in the country for “public security concerns.”
With over 95% of its population identifying as Muslim, Turkey is among the few Muslim-majority countries where homosexuality is legal.
But the equality article in the country’s constitution does not include sexual orientation and gender identity, meaning that LGBTQ+ people continue to face several legal challenges and hostility from the Turkish government and society at large.
Same-sex relationships are not recognized by law, and same-sex marriage is also not legal under Articles 124-144 of Turkey’s Civil Code.
On Saturday, a gunman attacked a gay bar in Oslo, Norway, killing two people and seriously injuring 21 others.
