Turkish police detained over 100 people on Sunday following Pride marches in the cities of Istanbul and Izmir.Despite attempts by the Turkish government to suppress expressions of LGBTQ identity, including Pride celebrations, in the Muslim-majority country, hundreds took to the streets of both cities to celebrate their LGBTQ identities in defiance of those actions.
Turkey’s ruling pro-Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has previously passed bans on Pride marches and LGBTQ-themed events, but courts have found those bans to be unlawful.
Nonetheless, the government frequently seeks to shut down such celebrations, either by making it logistically impossible to march or by directing police to disperse crowds or arrest those believed to have participated in demonstrations.
In the run-up to Sunday, authorities in Istanbul sought to shut down all public transportation and set up roadblocks in the Taksim Square district to prevent Pride activists from marching in the area.