Turkey bans all LGBTQ events across Ankara province

Turkish authorities announce a ban on all LGBTQ cultural events in Ankara province until further notice to “maintain public order.”

The move follows a ban on a festival of German-language gay films in the capital on Thursday, imposed on the grounds it could incite hatred and be at risk from terror attacks.

“Since [Saturday] 18 November and until further notice, all film and theater events, screenings, panels, colloquium, exhibitions, etc… have been banned,” the Ankara administration says on its website.

It argues that LGBTQ events are likely to “provoke reactions within certain segments” of society and says it has issued the ban to “maintain public order.”

But organizers of Thursday’s film festival wanted authorities to instead offer greater protection, denouncing the move as a violation of their constitutional rights.

— AFP