Overview
- Turkish provincial authorities told the US‑chartered Scarlet Lady it could not dock in Kuşadası or Istanbul, a decision published by the Aydın governorate and reported on Saturday.
- Atlantis Events, the US operator that chartered the ship for LGBTQ passengers, said it has changed the ship's itinerary and will call alternative Egyptian and Greek ports, though outlets give different port combinations.
- About 2,000 passengers are affected and Atlantis's CEO described the denial as unprecedented in the company's 36‑year history after appeals, including contact with the US embassy, failed.
- Local enforcement also closed an Istanbul bar named by pro‑government outlets as a local organizer, and conservative media and social‑media campaigns had pushed for the visit to be blocked.
- The move fits a pattern of tightened restrictions on LGBTQ events in Turkey, where governors are presidential appointees, and it could reshape future LGBTQ tourism and cause diplomatic and commercial friction.