Turkish authorities have refused permission for a cruise ship catering to American LGBTQ+ travelers to dock in the country’s ports, citing “moral standards” and “family values,” the CEO of the events company organizing the voyage said Thursday.
The “Athens to Venice” cruise, operated by Atlantis Events, was scheduled to stop in the Turkish port town of Kuşadası on July 7 and later in Istanbul. However, local officials canceled the “event,” stating that the ship—chartered by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values”—would not be allowed to berth.
The vessel, the Scarlet Lady, is owned by Virgin Voyages, the cruise line backed by Richard Branson. According to Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell, the ship was expected to carry about 1,900 passengers, with roughly 1,100 from the United States and the remainder from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other nations.
Campbell called the decision “stunning” and expressed concern that a country would “pick and choose which tourists are allowed in.” He noted that in 36 years of operation, this was the first time the company had been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are.”
In response, Atlantis Events has rerouted the cruise to Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete instead of Turkey. Campbell emphasized that the group is not political and simply wants to “spend money, have a good time, take tours and be incredibly respectful to every culture we visit.”
The move comes amid increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party. Pride marches in Istanbul have been banned since 2015 on public safety grounds. Authorities in Aydin province, where Kuşadası is located, said there is “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.”
Additionally, Istanbul police raided a bar after an “Atlantis brochure” featuring a party at the establishment was circulated—though Campbell said the brochure was not from Atlantis.
CNN has reached out to Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish embassy in Washington, and Virgin Voyages for comment. The incident highlights growing tensions between Turkey’s conservative social policies and the global tourism industry, raising questions about the future of inclusive travel in the region.
