Turkish police detain dozes at banned Pride march, says lawmaker
:: Istanbul, Turkey
:: June 29, 2025
:: Kezban Konukcu, Lawmaker, People's Equality and Democracy Party
"The palace regime (Turkish presidency) will not continue their rule by ignoring and demonizing the LGBT+ community."
:: Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment
Footage obtained by Reuters showed police scuffling with a group of activists holding rainbow flags in the city centre before rounding them up and loading them into police vans.
Kezban Konukcu, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party who attended the march, told Reuters that at least 30 people had been taken into custody.
Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Istanbul governor's office had earlier deemed the march unlawful and said groups promoting the event were operating "illegally."
Authorities have banned Pride marches in Turkey's largest city since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns.
President Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade.
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