The Turkish authorities have denied a cruise ship docking in two of the country’s ports because it is a “Gay Cruise.” As CNN reported, the administration of the western Turkish province of Aydın, where the first planned stop Kuşadası sits, justified the move on grounds of protecting “moral values” and “family values.” The ship, chartered by groups whose behavior “is not compatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values,” was banned from docking. A second planned stop in Istanbul was also canceled.
The vessel affected is the “Scarlet Lady” of Virgin Voyages, chartered by the U.S. travel operator Atlantis Events for a ten-day Mediterranean cruise (“Athens to Venice”). On board are about 1,900 passengers, including roughly 1,100 from the United States, with other travelers from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and beyond.
Cruise Executive: The Ban Is “Unprecedented”
The Atlantis Events CEO, Rich Campbell, described the decision to CNN as “unprecedented” in the 36-year history of the company. He noted that it marks the first time a trip has been explicitly denied docking because of the passengers’ identity. He stressed that the company is not a political organization, but a group of tourists hoping to visit the country respectfully.
In response to the docking ban, the organizers had to alter the itinerary on short notice. The cruise will depart as planned on Sunday from Greece, with the Turkish stops replaced by Cairo (Egypt) and Crete (Greece). Egypt is not exactly known as a queer-friendly country: homosexuality can carry multi-year prison terms under several provisions.
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Earlier this week in Istanbul, police were called to a queer club after a flyer promoting Atlantis’ cruise was distributed there (TheColu.mn reported). The authorities subsequently revoked the Tekyön club’s license after 18 years of operation.
The Erdoğan Regime Is Growing More Repressive Against Queer People
The incident fits into the Turkish government’s increasingly repressive stance toward the queer community under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which in recent years has seen Pride events regularly banned under the pretext of “public safety.” Erdoğan has repeatedly called for a “fight against LGBT perversion” (TheColu.mn reported).
In the past, there have already been issues with Gay Cruises docking in countries hostile to queer communities. In 2012, for example, two men on a gay Atlantis cruise in the Caribbean island nation of Dominica were detained for homosexuality (TheColu.mn reported).
