Istanbul Pride ( tr, İstanbul Onur Yürüyüşü) is a

pride parade A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...

and

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

demonstration held annually in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

's biggest city,

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

since 2003. Participants assemble in

Taksim Square Taksim Square ( tr, Taksim Meydanı, ), situated in Beyoğlu in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the c ...

before marching the entire length of

İstiklal Avenue İstiklal Avenue ( tr, İstiklal Caddesi; en, "Independence Avenue"), historically known as the Grand Avenue of Pera ( Ottoman Turkish: ''Cadde-i Kebir''; el, Μεγάλη Οδός του Πέραν, Megali Odos tu Peran; french: Grande Rue d ...

. It has been described as the first and biggest LGBT event in the

Muslim-majority countries The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...

. The event reached roughly 5,000 people by 2010. In 2013, the pride parade, with the attendance of Gezi Park protesters attracted almost 100,000 people. The 2014 pride was the biggest LGBT event in Turkey's history and attracted more than 100,000 people. Since 2015 pride parades in Istanbul were denied permission by the Governorship of Istanbul authorities. The governors repeatedly stated that the denials were based on security concerns and public order, but critics claimed the bans were taken on a religious and ideological basis. Despite the refusal hundreds of people defied the ban each year, which resulted in law enforcement intervention. Politicians that have joined Istanbul Pride are mainly from the opposition parties

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party ( tr, Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, , acronymized as CHP ) is a Kemalist and social-democratic political party in Turkey which currently stands as the main opposition party. It is also the oldest political party ...

(CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

History

The event first took place in 2003 and now occurs each year on either the last Sunday of June or the first Sunday of July, to mark the end of Istanbul pride week. About 30 people took part in the first Gay Pride Istanbul. The numbers have increased exponentially each year, reaching roughly 5,000 people by 2010. The 2011 gathering attracted over 10,000 people, therefore making Gay Pride Istanbul the biggest march of its kind in the Muslim majority countries. The 2012 pride march, which took place on 1 July, attracted between 10,000 and 30,000 people.

On 30 June 2013, the pride parade attracted almost 100,000 people. The protesters were joined by Gezi Park protesters, making the 2013 Istanbul Pride the biggest pride ever held in Turkey. The 2014 pride attracted more than 100,000 people. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

praised Turkey that the parade went ahead without disruption.

Suppression since 2015

On Sunday 29 June 2015,

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

reported that Turkish police used a water cannon to disperse the gay pride parade. In 2016 the pride march was banned by the local government "for the safety of our citizens, first and foremost the participants’, and for public order." LGBT organizations have also not been allowed to make a press statement. The governate of Istanbul once again claimed that a gathering of LGBT would not be allowed. "Within Law No: 5442, this request has not been approved due to the terror attacks that have taken place in our country and the area; because provocative acts and events may take place when the sensitivities that have emerged in society are taken into account; and because it may cause a disruption in public order and the people's- including the participants of the event- tranquility, security, and welfare.". Supporters of the Pride claimed this decision was religiously motivated and the event was banned because it would have take during the Muslim holy month of

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

. In 2017 the

Istanbul Governor's Office Buildings and structures of the Ottoman Empire Government buildings completed in 1756 1756 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Official residences in Turkey Buildings and structures in Istanbul Fatih ...

yet again banned the LGBT Pride Parade, citing security concerns and public order. In 2018, for the fourth consecutive year the Istanbul Governor's Office yet again banned the LGBT Pride Parade, citing security concerns and public order, but around 1,000 people defied the ban, they were met with tear gas and rubber bullets. 11 participants were arrested. In 2019, the Istanbul Governor's Office yet again banned the LGBT Pride Parade, citing security concerns and public order. subsequently, opposition

Member of the Grand National Assembly The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...

Sezgin Tanrıkulu Sezgin Tanrıkulu is a Turkish human rights lawyer known for his defense of the rights of Kurdish citizens. He is currently serving as an MP in the Turkish Grand Assembly with the Republican People's Party (CHP). Early life and education Tan ...

of the

(CHP) lodged a parliamentary question to the

Vice President of Turkey The vice president of Turkey, officially the vice president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı Yardımcısı), is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the government of Turkey, after the presi ...

Fuat Oktay Fuat Oktay (born 1964) is a Turkish politician, civil servant and academic serving as the first and current vice president of Turkey since 10 July 2018. An independent, he previously served as undersecretary to the prime minister of Turkey from ...

asking why the deputy governor of Istanbul had banned Istanbul Pride. He also asked how many LGBT members had been killed in the last 17 years, the time the ruling party

Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being: * Justice and Development Party (Morocco) * Justice and Development Party (Turkey) Justice and Development Party may also refer to: * Justice and Dev ...

(AKP) ruled the city, due to provocative hate speech, and raised concerns over discrimination against the LGBT community. On 29 June, hundreds of people defied the ban, they were met with tear gas, shields, pepper gas and plastic bullets from the Police.

Organizers

LGBT organizations *Koç Üniversitesi "KUir" LGBTI+ Club * Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi “Gri (Gender roles and identities)” Kulübü * Bilkent Üniversitesi Think colorful! LGBTQ student's Society * Bilgi Gökkuşağı LGBT student's Society * Hebûn LGBT Diyarbakır Organization * İLLET İstanbul anti-authoritarian pleasure and resistance network of feminist women, trans, queer. İstanbul LGBT Solidarity Association. * İstanbul LGBTT Solidarity Organization * İTÜ Cins Arı LGBT Öğrenci Topluluğu * İÜ Radar LGBT Öğrenci Topluluğu * Kadın Kapısı (Women's door) * Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association * LİSTAG – Istanbul group of Families of LGBT * luBUnya Boğaziçi Üniversitesi LGBT Society * MorEl Eskişehir LGBTT Organization * ODTÜ LGBT Dayanışması * Pembe Hayat LGBTT Solidarity Association * Sabancı Üniversitesi Gender Club * Siyah Pembe Üçgen İzmir LGBTT Association * Voltrans Trans Erkek Initiative * SPoD Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association Other institutions and organizations that contribute to the pride march are: *

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

* Anadolu Kültür *

Open Society Foundations Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is a Grant (money), grantmaking network founded and chaired by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the wo ...

* Rattenbar

Political impact

Politicians that have joined Istanbul Pride are mainly from the opposition parties HDP and CHP, and include: *

Filiz Kerestecioğlu Filiz Kerestecioğlu Demir (born 31 January 1961) is a Turkish politician from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) who currently serves as a Member of Parliament since the June 2015 general election. Early life and career Filiz Kerestecioğlu ...

Ertuğrul Kürkçü Ertuğrul Kürkçü (born 5 May 1948) is a Turkish politician, socialist activist and the current Honorary President of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as of 22 June 2014 and Honorary Associate of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of ...

* *

Sırrı Süreyya Önder Sırrı Süreyya Önder (born 7 July 1962) is a Turkish film director, actor, screenwriter, columnist and politician. Elected to parliament in 2011 Turkish general election, 2011 as an independent backed by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), ...

Mahmut Tanal Mahmut Tanal (born 1 January 1961) is a Turkish politician and former lawyer who serves as a Member of Parliament for Istanbul in the Grand National Assembly. He is a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP). Background Tanal was born in ...

Sebahat Tuncel Sebahat Tuncel (born 5 July 1975) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin, women's rights advocate, former nurse and member of the Parliament in Turkey. She was elected a member of parliament while being in prison. Early life and education ...

They call upon the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

authorities to guarantee

fundamental rights Fundamental rights are a group of rights that have been recognized by a high degree of protection from encroachment. These rights are specifically identified in a constitution, or have been found under due process of law. The United Nations' Sustai ...

and

civil liberties Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may ...

to all LGBT people. In 2019, several opposition held municipalities have shown support to the LGBTI community on social media.

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin Province, Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and dis ...

Edirne Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...

, Tarsus,

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

, Izmir,

Bodrum Bodrum () is a port city in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Its population was 35,795 at the 2012 census, with a total of 136,317 inhabitants residing within the district's borders. Known in ancient t ...

. Istanbul's local governments such as

Ataşehir Ataşehir is a district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is located at the junction of the O-2 and O-4 motorways on the Anatolian (Asian) side of Istanbul. Its neighbours are the districts of Ümraniye to the north, Sancaktepe to the northeast, Ma ...

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...

Şişli Şişli () is one of the 39 districts of Istanbul, Turkey. Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş to the east, Sarıyer to the north, Eyüp and Kağıthane to the west, and Beyoğlu to the south. In 2009, Şi ...

Kadıköy Kadıköy (), known in classical antiquity and during the Roman and Byzantine eras as Chalcedon ( gr, Χαλκηδών), is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district in the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, on the northern shore of the Sea of ...

, Maltepe,

Kartal Kartal is a district of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the Asian side of the city, on the coast of the Marmara Sea between Maltepe and Pendik. Despite being far from the city centre, Kartal is heavily populated (total population of 541,209) (200 ...

also showed their sympathy. In 2019, shortly after the

2019 Turkish local elections The Turkish local elections of 2019 were held on Sunday 31 March 2019 throughout the 81 provinces of Turkey. A total of 30 metropolitan and 1,351 district municipal mayors, alongside 1,251 provincial and 20,500 municipal councillors were elected, ...

opposition politician and

Mayor of Istanbul This is a list of mayors of Istanbul, Turkey. This covers the Ottoman Empire to the modern day; the name of the city in English is Constantinople during the Ottoman period and in the Republican era until 1930. Ottoman Empire During 1453–18 ...

Ekrem İmamoğlu Ekrem İmamoğlu (; born 4 June 1970) is a Turkish businessman, real estate developer, and politician serving as the 32nd Mayor of Istanbul. He was first elected with 4.1 million votes and won with a margin of 13,000 votes against his AKP opponen ...

stated that the ban can't be unruled as the right to give permission to demonstrations lies with the governorship and the governors of Turkish provinces are not elected but directly appointed by the

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...

References

External links