Gay Pride Istanbul (
Turkish: Onur Yürüyüşü) is a gay
pride march and
LGBT demonstration held annually in
Turkey's biggest city,
Istanbul. The event first took place in 2003 and now occurs each year on either the last Sunday of June or the first Sunday of July, to mark the end of Istanbul pride week. About 30 people took part in the first Gay Pride Istanbul. The numbers have increased exponentially each year, reaching roughly 5,000 people by 2010. The 2011 gathering attracted over 10,000 people, therefore making Gay Pride Istanbul the biggest march of its kind in the Muslim World. The 2012 pride march, which took place on 1 July, attracted between 10,000 and 30,000 people.
Participants assemble in
Taksim Square before marching the entire length of
İstiklal Avenue. This is a wide pedestrian boulevard and one of
Istanbul's most important public spaces, the frequent home of
bayram and regional festivals.
On 30 June 2013, the pride parade attracted almost 100,000 people. The protesters were joined by
Gezi Park protesters, making the 2013 Istanbul Pride the biggest pride ever held in Turkey. The 2014 pride attracted more than 100,000 people. The
European Union praised Turkey that the parade went ahead without disruption. On Sunday 29 June 2015,
Reuters reported that Turkish police used a water cannon to disperse the gay pride parade.