Overview
- Local authorities in Aydın province and Istanbul announced on July 2 that they would not allow an Atlantis Events–chartered cruise to berth in Kuşadası or Istanbul, citing conflicts with local moral standards.
- Organizers rerouted the Scarlet Lady, a Virgin Voyages ship, replacing the two Turkish port calls with stops in Alexandria/Cairo and Crete and confirmed the July 5 departure from Athens with about 1,900 passengers expected.
- Aydın officials framed the decision as protecting 'family values' and said the group showed behaviors 'incompatible with the fabric of our society,' language Atlantis Events and its CEO called unprecedented and discriminatory.
- Performers and organizers protested the ban, with Patti LuPone posting her anger, while reports say Istanbul police temporarily shut down the long-standing Tek Yön nightclub after a flyer linked by some outlets to the cruise appeared on social media.
- The decision fits a pattern of tightened limits on LGBTQ+ public expression in Turkey since 2015 and raises questions about the economic impact on local businesses, the safety of diverted passengers in alternative ports, and possible diplomatic pushback.