Overview
- Local authorities in Aydın and Istanbul announced on Saturday that the Virgin Voyages ship Scarlet Lady, chartered by US operator Atlantis Events, would not be allowed to dock for the July 7 visit.
- Atlantis Events confirmed the denial and said the company changed the ship's itinerary to call at Alexandria and Heraklion after reported efforts, including outreach by the US embassy, failed to reverse the move.
- The Aydın governorate publicly justified the ban by saying the cruise was chartered by groups "known for behaviors incompatible with the structure of our society and our moral values," and it limited the order to that specific planned visit.
- Istanbul authorities also closed a bar linked in promotional material to the trip, citing alleged regulatory violations, while pro‑government media and conservative social accounts had campaigned against the cruise before the ban.
- The action follows a recent pattern of restrictions on LGBTQ events in Turkey, where Pride marches have often been banned and provincial governors are appointed by the central government, raising concerns about longer‑term impacts on tourism and LGBTQ public life.