Turkish authorities have barred a cruise ship carrying American LGBTQ+ travellers from docking at the country’s ports, citing concerns over “moral standards” and “family values.”
The cruise, titled “Athens to Venice,” is organised by Atlantis Events and is scheduled to depart Greece on July 5. It was originally expected to make stops in the Turkish port city of Kuşadası before continuing to Istanbul.
However, authorities in Turkey cancelled the planned visits, stating that the voyage had been chartered by groups “known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
The vessel, Scarlet Lady, operated by Virgin Voyages, will now sail to Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete instead of the planned Turkish destinations.
Reacting to the decision, Atlantis Events President and CEO, Rich Campbell, described the move as discriminatory, saying the company was denied entry solely because the cruise caters to LGBTQ+ travellers.
“It’s pretty stunning. The reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group. It’s very concerning when a country decides it can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in based on who they are,” Campbell said.
He added that it was the first time in the company’s 36-year history that it had been prevented from docking because of the identity of its passengers.
According to Campbell, about 1,100 of the expected 1,900 passengers are from the United States, while the remaining travellers are from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
The decision comes amid Turkey’s increasingly restrictive stance on LGBTQ+ rights. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government has adopted stronger anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in recent years, while Pride marches in Istanbul have been banned since 2015 on security grounds.
Authorities in Aydın Province, where Kuşadası is located, said there was “absolutely no possibility” of allowing the group to visit the province for such an event.
