Ankara (AFP)
Istanbul's "Queer Olympix", a pro-LGBT sports rally, have been banned by the Turkish authorities, organizers announced Saturday.
"This morning (Saturday), while going to install us, we saw police and two water cannons," told AFP Elif Kaya, one of the volunteers involved in the organization of the event. "We were told that we did not have permission to do our event".
This was the third year that the "Queer Olympix" was held in Istanbul and the first year they faced such challenges, says Kaya.
In a statement, the organizers say that the governorate of Kadikoy district, on the Asian side of Istanbul, banned the event by claiming "precautions against provocations that could take place because of social sensitivities".
But also to "protect public health, public order and public morality," the statement said.
About 130 participants were expected this weekend for the "Queer Olympix", according to Ms. Kaya, to compete in several sports activities, such as football, beach volleyball or long jump.
"They waited until the last minute to signal us the ban to avoid that we can appeal," she laments.
Although homosexuality is not criminalized in Turkey, homophobia is widespread and manifests itself in assaults and killings, according to NGOs. Moreover, in recent years, many LGBT events have been banned by local authorities, notably in Istanbul and Ankara.
The Pride parade, which has been going smoothly since 2003, has been banned since 2014, when the parade attracted tens of thousands of participants.
© 2019 AFP