Overview
- Turkey’s Aydın governor’s office announced on Saturday that the Scarlet Lady would not be allowed to dock in Kuşadası because it was chartered by groups the office said clash with the province’s moral values.
- Atlantis Events confirmed the ban and said it changed the ship’s planned calls to Cairo and the Greek island of Crete after Turkish officials refused permission to berth.
- Rich Campbell, Atlantis Events’ president and CEO, told CNN this is the first time in the company’s 36-year history that authorities have denied docking because of passengers’ identity.
- Istanbul authorities closed a Beyoğlu bar that pro-government outlets had identified as a local organiser, saying the venue faced alleged regulatory violations.
- The move fits a pattern of tightened enforcement and hostile rhetoric toward LGBTQ visibility under President Erdoğan’s government that has led to repeated Pride bans since 2015 and could affect tourism and diplomatic responses.