Human rights groups stealthily fly rainbow flag in Turkey with brilliant billboard ‘hack’

Six NGOs in Turkey joined forces to “hack” the rainbow by creating a Pride flag out of individual billboards in defiance of the country’s homophobia.

Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Purple Roof Women’s Shelter Foundation, Association for Monitoring Equal Rights, Support to Life Association and Change.org all teamed up to make a bold statement in Istanbul’s Bebek, Izmir's Çeşme districts.

“We are honoured to be together with our different colours,” the groups said in a joint statement. “We are colourful like a rainbow, equal, free and stronger when we support each other.”

Each billboard bears one of the six colours of the Pride flag along with an individual message from the groups, shared on social media with the hashtag “Rainbow hack”.

“All humans are born free and equal in terms of rights,” reads Amnesty International’s billboard. “All together for the earth,” says Greenpeace’s sign, while the Association for Monitoring Equal Rights says: “Don’t turn a blind eye to discrimination.”