Cyprus Mail
TurkeyWorld

Turkish police teargas Pride march in Ankara, detain 36

turkish police prevent ankara pride from going ahead
Police officers detain activists to prevent them from marching in a pride parade, which was banned by local authorities, in Ankara. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

Turkish police used teargas and pepper spray to halt an LGBTQ+ Pride march in the capital Ankara on Tuesday, detaining at least 36 people after authorities banned such marches in cities across the country for security reasons.

Reuters journalists saw police pepper spraying activists and dragging them across the ground before handcuffing them and putting them in buses. UniKuir, an Ankara based group of LGBTQ+ activists, said at least 36 people were detained.

Last week in Istanbul, police dispersed a larger annual Pride march and detained more than 300 people.

Thousands of people used to attend annual Pride marches on Istanbul’s main Istiklal Avenue, but in recent years the government led by President Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party has toughened its stance on gay rights.

Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but hostility to it is widespread and police crackdowns on Pride parades have been increasingly tougher over the years.

Follow the Cyprus Mail on Google News

Related Posts

Europe to use frozen Russian profits to arm Ukraine, Scholz says

Reuters News Service

Russia votes in election that will give Putin six more years in power

Reuters News Service

Putin says Ukraine will be punished for election day attacks on civilians

Reuters News Service

Israel says troops did not open fire on Gazans waiting for aid

Reuters News Service

UK children exposed to violent content online, see it as ‘inevitable’

Reuters News Service

Hezbollah tells Iran it would fight alone in any war with Israel

Reuters News Service