Turkey bans American LGBTQ+ cruise from docking in port city over 'moral standards'

An American LGBTQ+ cruise ship will not be allowed to dock at Turkish ports after authorities cited "moral standards" and "family values" to back its decision, the CEO of the company operating the ship said.

The cruise ship, called “Athens to Venice”, will depart from Greece on July 5 and is supposed to dock in the Turkish port city of Kuşadası two days later, after a trip to Istanbul.

However, in a controversial decision, authorities in Turkey announced the cancellation of the planned event, saying the ship, expected to carry more than 1,000 passengers from the United States, had been chartered by organisations "known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values."

The cruise vessel is named Scarlet Lady and is owned by the Richard Branson-backed cruise line Virgin Voyages, as per MarineTraffic. After Turkey's opposition, the ship will now make stops in Cairo, Egypt and the Greek island of Crete.

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“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN.

“It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not,” he added.

What has Turkey said?

According to Atlantis' website, the 10-day voyage is promoted as an "epic adventure," offering passengers the chance to explore the Mediterranean with "great friends," while visiting popular sun-drenched destinations including the Greek Islands and Croatia.

Authorities in Turkey's Aydin province, where the ship was supposed to dock, said there is “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.”

At the same time, officials also reportedly raided a bar in the port city after an “Atlantis brochure” listed it as a venue for a party.