Dozens detained as Turkish police crack down on Istanbul Pride march

Dozens were detained in Istanbul as police moved quickly to disperse this year’s banned Pride gathering, once again turning a brief moment of visibility into a confrontation over the right to assemble in Turkey.

Turkish police detained at least 50 people during the 24th Istanbul Pride on Sunday after LGBTQ+ activists attempted to hold the annual march despite a longstanding official ban. The demonstration took place in Istanbul's Kadıköy district under heavy police presence, with officers surrounding gathering points and detaining participants shortly after they unfurled rainbow flags and banners. 

According to France 24, those detained included activists, journalists and legal observers. Reuters also reported that police blocked access to the planned gathering area and transported detainees away in police buses.

The Istanbul Governor's Office had banned the Pride march in advance, citing concerns over public order and security. Similar justifications have been used almost every year since 2015, when authorities first prohibited the event. 

Organisers nevertheless called on supporters to gather, arguing that the constitutional right to peaceful assembly cannot be overridden by repeated administrative bans. Videos shared by activists on social media showed police surrounding demonstrators while crowds chanted slogans demanding equality and freedom.

Turkish LGBTQ+ organisations said this year's march was intended to demonstrate that the community remains visible despite years of increasing pressure. According to the Kaos GL Association, one of Turkey's leading LGBTQ+ rights organisations, Pride events have faced systematic bans, police violence and judicial harassment across the country. The group said the authorities' actions reflect a broader deterioration of freedom of assembly and expression.

International human rights organisations echoed those concerns. Human Rights Watch noted that Turkish authorities have repeatedly used excessive force against peaceful Pride participants in recent years, while ILGA-Europe has documented a continued decline in LGBTQ+ rights in Turkey, pointing to discriminatory political rhetoric, restrictions on civil society and the criminalisation of public LGBTQ+ visibility.

Lawyers from the Istanbul Bar Association's Human Rights Centre monitored Sunday's detentions and sought immediate access to those taken into custody. Turkish media outlet Bianet reported that most detainees were expected to be released after giving statements, although previous Pride events have led to lengthy legal proceedings despite court rulings that found blanket bans on Pride marches unlawful.

Once attracting tens of thousands of participants, Istanbul Pride was among the largest LGBTQ+ demonstrations in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Since the first ban in 2015, organisers have relied on last-minute meeting points to avoid police blockades, while authorities have continued to disperse gatherings each year. 

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