Despite being banned annually since 2015, the Istanbul Pride march took place on June 29, 2025, leading to the arrest of at least 30 participants. Turkish authorities, under Governor Davut Gül's claim of protecting societal values, intensified their clampdown on LGBTQ+ events. Opposition politicians reported over 50 arrests, revealing the lengths to which officials will go against the community. This follows President Erdoğan's long-standing anti-LGBTQ+ stance, promoting traditional family values and justifying the ban as a means to uphold social order.
Before today's Istanbul Pride march, four of our colleagues were deprived of their liberty through arbitrary, unjust and illegal detention, highlighting the systemic oppression faced by LGBTQ+ activists in Turkey.
LGBT will not emerge in this country. Stand up straight, like a man. That is how our families are, signaling the harsh stance of Turkish leadership against LGBTQ+ rights.
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