Turkey has barred a scheduled gay cruise from docking in the port city of Kuşadası, citing the country’s “moral values”, following another crackdown on LGBTQ+ Pride events.
The Athens-to-Venice cruise, chartered by American LGBTQ+ travel company Atlantis Events, was prevented from stopping in Turkey on 7 July as originally planned. The cruise was aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, carrying around 2,000 passengers.
Authorities cite “moral values”
In a media statement posted by the Governorship of Aydın Province, authorities said the cruise had been organised by “groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values”.
Officials said the planned visit had “caused great discomfort in various segments of our society” and announced that permission for the ship to dock had been withdrawn.
“It is absolutely out of the question for the said group to come to our province with an organisation of the specified nature,” the Governorship stated.
The cruise was also due to visit Istanbul, but both Turkish port stops were cancelled. Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell said it was the first time in the company’s 36-year history that a cruise had been denied entry because of its passengers’ identity.
The ship will now stop in Cairo, Egypt, and Crete, Greece, instead of Turkey.
Patti LuPone condemns decision
Broadway legend Patti LuPone, who is scheduled to perform on board the cruise, expressed outrage over the decision on Instagram.
“A ship − a magnificent ship − full of gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board. I am furious…” she said.
“I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this,” LuPone continued.
Pride arrests across Turkey
The cruise ban comes shortly after Turkish authorities arrested dozens of Pride activists.
On Sunday 28 June, police arrested 65 activists as they attempted to hold the 24th Istanbul Pride March. A day earlier, authorities arrested 36 people ahead of Pride events in Izmir.
Despite police intervention, marchers in Istanbul moved through different streets in small groups, chanting slogans and carrying banners.
Authorities first banned Istanbul Pride in June 2015 and have renewed the ban every year since. Amnesty International has previously described the repeated bans as a violation of the rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
ILGA-Europe condemns restrictions
In a statement, ILGA-Europe praised the “courage and determination” of Pride activists “despite state attacks and restrictions”.
The organisation added: “When governments ban peaceful assembly, they are not protecting public order, they are dismantling it.”
Turkey currently ranks 47th out of 49 countries on ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, which measures LGBTQ+ rights protections across Europe.
Over the past month, the Turkish government has also been accused of blocking access to numerous LGBTQ+ accounts on X for “reasons of national security and public order”.
In April, reports indicated that 11 activists from the group Young LGBTI+ would stand trial for allegedly violating Turkey’s constitutional protection of “family values” after publishing social media images of a same-sex couple kissing.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly attacked LGBTQ+ people, claiming the “traditional family” is under threat from what he has described as the “LGBT plague” and “LGBT perversion”.
For LGBTQ+ travellers, the cruise ban is another chilling sign of Turkey’s escalating hostility towards queer visibility — from Pride marches on the street to holidaymakers arriving by sea.
