Turkish authorities have barred a cruise ship carrying American LGBTQ+ travelers from docking at the country’s ports, citing concerns over “moral standards” and “family values,” according to the company organizing the Mediterranean voyage.
The “Athens to Venice” cruise, operated by Atlantis Events, is scheduled to depart Greece on July 5. The itinerary originally included stops in the Turkish resort town of Kuşadası on July 7 and later in Istanbul before continuing through the Mediterranean.
However, Turkish authorities canceled both port visits, saying the ship had been chartered by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
The cruise ship, Scarlet Lady, is operated by Virgin Voyages, the cruise line backed by British entrepreneur Richard Branson. Following Turkey’s decision, Atlantis Events announced that the vessel will instead visit Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete.
Rich Campbell, President and CEO of Atlantis Events, described the decision as unprecedented in the company’s 36-year history.
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. The reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” 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,” he added.
Campbell said this was the first time the company had been explicitly denied permission to dock because of the identity of its passengers.
Approximately 1,900 guests are expected to be on board the 10 day voyage, including about 1,100 travelers from the United States. The remaining passengers are from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Atlantis Events describes the cruise as an “epic adventure” through the Mediterranean, offering travelers the opportunity to visit destinations across the Greek Isles, Croatia, and other popular coastal locations.
Authorities in Turkey’s Aydın province, where Kuşadası is located, said there was “absolutely no possibility” of allowing the group to visit the province “for an event of this nature.”
Meanwhile, officials in Istanbul said police had raided a local bar after discovering what they described as an “Atlantis brochure” advertising a party at the venue. Campbell denied any connection, saying the brochure was neither produced nor authorized by Atlantis Events.
“This is not a political organization,” Campbell said. “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.”
Atlantis informed passengers of the itinerary change on Thursday, stating that “due to circumstances beyond our control,” both scheduled stops in Turkey had been removed after Turkish authorities canceled the port calls.
The move comes amid an increasingly restrictive environment for LGBTQ+ rights in Turkey. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AK Party, government rhetoric toward the LGBTQ+ community has intensified over the past decade. Authorities have also banned Pride marches in Istanbul since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns, a policy that has drawn criticism from international human rights organizations.
CNN said it had contacted Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, and Virgin Voyages for comment.
Source: CNN
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