Istanbul bans annual gay pride march on security grounds

'Such a meeting and demonstration march will not be allowed to take place by our governate, taking into account the security of our citizens, in particular the participants, as well as the public order'

The 2015 Gay Pride parade in Istanbul (Getty Images)

Istanbul's annual gay pride parade will not be allowed to go ahead this year for security reasons, city administrators say.

The event, which attracts tens of thousands every year, was planned to take place on 26 June but has been cancelled amid threats from conservative groups to intervene and stop the march.

“It is understood from some media organs, websites and social media that LGBT members called for a march held to take place between 19 and 26 June at Taksim," the Governate of Istanbul said in a statement, according to the Daily Sabah.

"Such a meeting and demonstration march will not be allowed to take place by our governate, taking into account the security of our citizens, in particular the participants, as well as the public order.”

In a press conference on Tuesday, far-right youth group Alperen Hearths said it would do "what is needed" to stop the event from taking place, according to Al Jazeera.

“Dear state officials, do not make us deal with these. Either you do what is needed or we will do it. We are ready to take any risks; we will directly prevent the march from happening,” Kursat Mican, the group's leader, is reported to have said.

Alperen Hearths is linked to the Turkish nationalist Great Union Party (BBP).

Ömer Akpinar, a Turkish gay rights activist, told The Independent hardline Muslim youth associations and ultra-nationalist groups regarded Istanbul's gay pride event as immoral.

"Religion is always used as an excuse to start riots on freedom," he said.

"The LGBT community in Turkey is a little divided about whether people should march or not," said Mr Akpinar. "It’s not only about this latest threat of ultra-nationalists who might attack people, but if you look at the recent history of Turkey, we’ve had so many bombings and attacks.

"So people are afraid it might be an occasion for IS or another terrorist group to kill thousands of people."

On 7 June, a bomb attack on a police bus killed 11 people in the fourth major attack in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, this year.

Last year's gay pride march was violently broken up by police with water cannons and rubber pellets, despite the previous year's event taking place peacefully.

"This is a continuation of the story that started last year when the police attacked gay activists," said Mr Akpinar. "Police waited for people to get together, then used tear gas."

According to Al Jazeera, a group that calls itself the Anatolia Muslim Youth Association also made threats on social media earlier this week.