Hello readers! I write to you from Greece where hubby Michael and I are about to embark on the Atlantis Cruise from Athens to Venice.
But a last minute hiccup has occurred as Turkey, which was to be an early stop on the cruise, has banned our ship from docking citing “moral standards” and “family values.”
— Tonkertim 🏴🇬🇧🏳️🌈🍻🎶 (@Tonkertim) July 3, 2026
According to news outlet Bianet, officials in Instanbul closed Tek Yön, a gay nightclub that has operated for 18 years, on June 27 alleging violations of regulations.
The investigation followed a social media post by Tek Yön, inviting passengers of a gay cruise tour to the club on Jul 8 to when the ship was scheduled to stop in İstanbul, two days after a stop in Kuşadası, Aydın in western Turkey.
The pro-government daily Yeni Şafak reported on the invitation, accusing the nightclub of “planning an audacious boat party.”
The Aydın Governor’s Office released a statement, saying that it’s “absolutely out of the question” that the ship will stop in the city “with an organization as described.”
More from CNN:
The “Athens to Venice” cruise, which departs from Greece on July 5, was expected to dock in the vibrant Turkish port town of Kuşadası two days later, followed by a trip to Istanbul, according to Atlantis Events, which is organizing the voyage.
But in a controversial move, local authorities in Turkey said they have canceled the “event” as the ship – which is expected to host more than 1,000 passengers from the US – was chartered by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
The vessel, named Scarlet Lady, is owned by the Richard Branson-backed cruise line Virgin Voyages, according to MarineTraffic. Atlantis Events said it will now stop in Cairo, Egypt and the Greek island of Crete instead of Turkey.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade, sparking condemnation from rights groups. Authorities have banned Pride marches in Istanbul since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns.
Broadway legend Patti LuPone is performing on this cruise and has expressed her outrage on social media about Turkey’s actions:
Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, said in a statement:
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group. It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.”
Campbell added it is the first time in 36 years that the company has been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are.”
In all honesty, Turkey was the country I was least interested in visiting due to the country’s aggressive anti-LGBTQ postures under President Erdogan. Cairo (I’ve always wanted to see the pyramids) and Crete seem much more attractive to me.
Turkey was recently ranked 47 out of 49 in ILGA-Europe’s 18th annual Rainbow Map. The listing ranks European countries by their LGBTQ-friendly credentials.
That’s the story for now. I’m looking forward to sharing from the cruise over the next two weeks.
The weather here in Athens is gorgeous. This was the view from our hotel at sunset of the Acropolis.
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