Turkish authorities have barred a chartered LGBTQ+ cruise from calling at the ports of Kuşadası and Istanbul, citing the country’s “moral values” and “social structure.”
The voyage, organised by U.S.-based Atlantis Events aboard Scarlet Lady of Virgin Voyages, departed Athens on 5 July with nearly 2,000 passengers. The original itinerary included calls at Kuşadası and an overnight stay in Istanbul before continuing to Trieste.
Just days before departure, Atlantis Events was informed that the Turkish port calls had been cancelled. Despite efforts to reverse the decision, including support from the U.S. Embassy in Turkey, the company was forced to revise the itinerary. The cruise will now visit Santorini, Alexandria in Egypt and Heraklion on Crete instead, while the remaining ports remain unchanged.
Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell described the decision as unprecedented in the company’s 36-year history, noting that the organisation has visited Turkish ports more than a dozen times over the past 25 years without incident. He estimated that Turkey could lose more than $1 million in tourism revenue as a result.
Broadway star Patti LuPone, who is performing onboard, also criticised the decision, saying she was “furious” that passengers were denied entry because of who they are.
While homosexuality is legal in Turkey, LGBTQ+ rights have come under increasing pressure in recent years. Pride marches in Istanbul have been banned since 2015, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government has repeatedly faced criticism from human rights organisations over its rhetoric towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Images in this article are AI-generated.
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