Turkey has reportedly blocked an American LGBTQ+ cruise from docking at two of its ports, citing “moral values” in the latest sign of the Islamist-run government’s increasingly hardline stance toward the LGBTQ+ community.
The “Athens to Venice” voyage organized by Los Angeles-based Atlantis Events was scheduled to stop in the western Turkish port of Kuşadası on July 7 before continuing to Istanbul.
Instead, the cruise will now visit Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete, according to CNN, which first reported the ban.
Local authorities in Turkey said they had canceled the planned port calls because the chartered vessel was booked by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
Officials in Aydin province, where Kuşadası is located, said there was “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.”
The ship, the “Scarlet Lady,” is owned by Richard Branson-backed Virgin Voyages and was expected to carry roughly 1,900 passengers during the 10-day Mediterranean sailing, according to Atlantis Events.
About 1,100 travelers were expected to come from the United States, with others traveling from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and elsewhere.
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Atlantis Events President and CEO Rich Campbell told CNN.
“It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not,” Campbell added.
Campbell said the company, which has operated LGBTQ+-focused cruises for 36 years, had never before been prevented from docking because of the identity of its passengers.
It was the first time in 36 years that the company has been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are,” he told CNN.
Turkish authorities have increasingly cracked down on LGBTQ+ events in recent years under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government.
Pride marches have been banned in Istanbul since 2015, with officials citing security and public safety concerns.
Campbell said the cruise was not intended as a political statement and that passengers simply planned to visit local attractions and businesses.
“This is not a political organization. We are not there for anything except to spend money, have a good time, take tours and be incredibly respectful to every culture we visit,” he told CNN.
The itinerary change was communicated to passengers on Thursday after Turkish authorities canceled both planned port calls.
The Post has reached out to the Turkish government, Campbell, Atlantis Events and Virgin Voyages for comment.
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