Turkey

US LGBTQ+ Cruise Ship Denied Docking in Turkey

Is this an understandable defense of local values or a blatant act of discrimination?

Published JUL 3

US LGBTQ+ Cruise Ship Denied Docking in Turkey

Story

Above: Malta-flagged cruise ship Aroya moored at Marmaris Port, Turkey, on June 29. Image credit: Sabri Kesen/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Facts

Turkish authorities in Aydın Province have canceled planned port stops for the Scarlet Lady, a Virgin Voyages cruise ship chartered by Atlantis Events and marketed to LGBTQ+ travelers, citing behaviors "incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values." The ship had been scheduled to dock at Kuşadası on July 7.
Governorship Of Aydın on X
Turkish Minute
The Scarlet Lady was set to carry approximately 1,900 passengers on a 10-day Athens-to-Venice itinerary departing Greece on Sunday, with around 1,100 travelers from the United States and the remainder from the U.K., Canada and Australia.
Turkish Minute
Scene Mag
Following Turkey's decision, Atlantis Events revised the cruise itinerary to include Cairo, Egypt and the Greek island of Crete in place of the two canceled Turkish port calls at Kuşadası and Istanbul.
Uránia
CNN
Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, said it was the first time in the company's 36-year history that it had been told it could not dock "because of who we are." He described the cruise as non-political, saying passengers intended only to spend money and take tours.
Instinct Magazine
Mezha
Istanbul's Beyoğlu District Governor's Office closed Tek Yön, a gay bar in the city's Cihangir neighborhood, on June 27 following inspections ordered by the Istanbul Governor's Office. The bar had advertised a party for passengers from the Atlantis cruise.
Turkish Minute
Instinct Magazine
Turkey's government has banned Pride marches in Istanbul since 2015, citing security and public order concerns.
CNN
Mezha

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Turkey had every right to deny the Atlantis cruise ship entry to its ports in order to protect local values and social norms. The Aydın Province made clear that the cancellation was limited to this specific charter and had no bearing on broader cruise tourism, which continues to thrive. Kuşadası remains open for business, just not for organizations whose conduct conflicts with the standards Turkish communities have long upheld.

Governorship Of Aydın on X

Turkiye Today

Government-critical narrative

Turkey's ban on the Atlantis LGBTQ+ cruise is a blatant act of discrimination that singled out over 1,900 travelers solely because of who they are. In 36 years of operation, Atlantis Events had never been turned away from a port, making this a historic and shameful first. Rerouting to Cairo and Crete softens the blow, but no consolation prize changes the fact that a government rejected tourists simply for their identity.

Instinct Magazine

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