Turkey blocks LGBTQ+ cruise from docking—a first in 36 years for major operator

Aydın Province denied the Scarlet Lady, carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers, berthing in Kuşadası on 7 July 2026, citing misalignment with "our moral values." Atlantis Events CEO confirmed this marks the first active exclusion in the company's 36-year history, despite 13 prior visits to Turkish ports. Whether Ankara directed the provincial ban remains unclear. The reroute signals rising operational risk for LGBTQ+ cruise operators in the Eastern Mediterranean.