At least 50 people were detained at a banned Istanbul LGBTQ+ Pride event over the weekend, organisers have said.
The march, held on 28 June, went ahead despite a ban imposed by local authorities and heavy restrictions across the city.
Iron barriers were installed around Istanbul’s famed Taksim Square, while subway transport in some areas was also restricted as authorities attempted to prevent Pride gatherings. Activists instead reportedly gathered across several neighbourhoods to carry out demonstrations.
The Turkish Journalists’ Union confirmed that one of those detained was journalist Muberra Unsal, who holds a press card.
“Journalists covering the Istanbul Pride March faced unlawful interference again this year. Despite repeatedly identifying herself as a journalist, Unsal was also taken into custody,” the union posted on X.
According to reports, protesters chanted: “My love, today isn’t over yet. In fact, we’re just getting started. We’re not giving up. We’ll keep taking to the streets from every corner we’re in.”
LGBTQ+ rights in Turkey
Being LGBTQ+ is not illegal in Turkey. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1858, and trans people have had a legal pathway to change gender since 1988, though the process requires gender-affirming surgery, a medical examination and court permission.
However, there are currently no comprehensive LGBTQ+ protections in place, and the community is frequently targeted by political rhetoric.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly attacked LGBTQ+ people in public statements. In 2023, he described LGBTQ+ people as one of the “biggest threats against the family” and blamed homosexuality for Turkey’s declining birthrate.
Istanbul Pride has also faced repeated bans and police crackdowns for more than a decade. The march, once one of the largest Pride events in the Muslim world, has been officially banned every year since 2015.
Turkey ranked near the bottom in Europe
Turkey was recently ranked as one of the worst countries in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights and protections.
In ILGA-Europe’s 2026 Rainbow Map, released in May, Turkey ranked 47th out of 49 countries, with a score of just 5%. Only Azerbaijan and Russia ranked lower.
ILGA-Europe said Turkey’s anti-democratic actions had intensified, including the use of “obscenity” provisions in the Penal Code against LGBTI human rights defenders and artists.
For organisers and activists, this year’s Istanbul Pride was another act of resistance in the face of bans, policing and political hostility.
Despite the crackdown, their message remained clear: the community is still here, still visible and still refusing to disappear.
