LGBTI+ breakfast gathering in İzmir faces harassment by group chanting 'Allahu Akbar'

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A Pride Month breakfast organized by the İzmir Bar Association faced verbal harassment as two groups shouted religious and anti-LGBTI+ slogans.

The incident lasted for approximately 1.5 hours before the groups eventually dispersed, İz Gazete, a local newspaper, reported. Police promptly took security measures at the scene but did not intervene with the groups.

Mahmut Şeren, a member of the bar's LGBTI+ rights commission, took to Twitter to address the incident, pointing out the "lenient" approach of the police towards those harassing LGBTI+ event, despite numerous activities being banned during Pride Month.

It appears that the Patriotic (Vatan) Party, a secular nationalist party aligned with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), protested the event alongside its affiliated youth and women's groups. An Islamist group chanting "Allahu Akbar" slogans also joined the protest.

"Fascists, accompanied by Islamists, openly insult and threaten us. They chant religious slogans and slogans full of hatred. The police are spectating," said Şeren, also sharing a video of the incident:

İslamcıları da yanına alan faşistler açıkça bize hakaret ediyor, tehdit ediyor. Tekbir getirip nefret içerikli sloganlar atıyorlar. Polis izliyor. pic.twitter.com/ad4EyDgaEj

— Mahmutçuğumuz (@mahmutseren) June 17, 2023

Throughout Pride Month, a wave of bans on various events has swept across the country, rangin from film screenings to gatherings. On Sunday, the Trans Pride March, scheduled to take place in İstanbul's iconic Taksim Square, was also denied permission. Metro stations in the vicinity were closed, with strict entry restrictions allowing only residents and employees.

These recent bans are part of a broader government effort to marginalize the LGBTI+ community in Turkey. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in anti-LGBTI+ statements by government officials.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during his campaign leading up to his re-election in May, reiterated such rhetoric and accused the opposition of supporting the LGBTI+ cause.

According to the ILGA Europe Rainbow Index, Turkey ranks as the second-worst country for LGBTI+s, preceded only by Azerbaijan. (EMK/VK)