Istanbul Gay Pride set to defy ban

City denies permission, organizers say event will go ahead

Organizers of the annual Gay Pride march in Istanbul insisted Saturday that it would go ahead in the city’s Taksim Square despite a ban by authorities over “safety concerns.”

Activists had called the parade for 5 pm on Sunday but the city governor’s office said that Taksim was not an official rallying ground.

“There will be no permission for a demonstration or a march on the said date considering the safety of tourists in the area ... and public order,” it said in a statement.

City officials also said there had been no formal application to call a rally and that they only heard of the event through social media.

Lara Ozlen from the organizing committee of the Gay Pride parade, said the governor’s office statement was a “lie.”

“They had known about our plan long before because we presented a petition weeks ago,” Ozlen told AFP.

City authorities also urged citizens to ignore calls to participate in the parade and to abide by the security forces’ warning.

The annual Gay Pride event has been banned in Istanbul since 2015.

Last year, organizers were denied permission to march after the city was on edge over bombings blamed on the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, sparking anger from gay rights activists.

Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who defied the ban.

Amnesty International in a statement expressed “deep concerns” over the ban on the parade.

“That decision ignores LGBTs and their supporters’ right to peaceful assembly,” it said.

“Turkey should protect Gay Pride rather than banning it.”

Turkey imposed a state of emergency in the wake of last year’s failed coup to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with critics saying their freedoms are not safeguarded.

Lawyer and LGBT activist Levent Piskin said calling a march was “not a crime” but added that the situation was gradually deteriorating for LGBT people in Turkey.

Piskin claimed LGBT people had been subjected to attacks over the last two years from nationalist and conservative quarters.