Istanbul bans LGBT Pride march

The LGBT -- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender -- Pride march was banned here by the local government, who for the second consecutive year raised concerns over security.

The march was scheduled to be held at the Turkish city's iconic Taksim Square on Sunday, reports Efe news.

But the Istanbul government said in a statement on Saturday that they had evaluated the situation and decided not to allow meetings or demonstrations on the scheduled day, nor on the days immediately before or after.

According to the statement, they had the security of tourists and residents, including any potential Pride participants, and public order in mind when the decision was made.

The statement also clarified that Taksim Square and its surroundings were not part of the spaces permitted for protests and that the relevant authorities had not received any requests for the required permits.

Several Turkish conservative and Islamist groups had already expressed their intention over the march's cancellation.

Istanbul's first Pride was held in 2003 and only a mere 30 people had gathered.

Its popularity grew spectacularly, with the 2014 edition attracting at least tens of thousands of people.

Things turned sour in 2015, when participants were met with police water cannons, and in 2016 the parade was cancelled for similar reasons as this year, with authorities again citing concerns over residents' and participants' safety.

--IANS

ksk