On June 26, despite banning Pride parades and other similar events, hundreds of people marched through the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, to demonstrate the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer communities. The Turkish authorities attacked and arrested many before the rally began.

Four students, who attend Istanbul's Bogazici University in Turkey, were arrested due to artwork depicting LGBT rainbow symbols alongside an image of Islam’s most sacred site, the Kaaba.

Some news outlets report the indistinct description of “LGBT rainbow symbols” alongside the Kaaba. To be more precise, four different flags were portrayed in each corner, featuring the iconic rainbow flag, and three others individually representing the lesbian, transexual, and asexual community. 

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the current President of Turkey, is trying to expand religious education which divided parents in the country.

A Turkish Cleric argued that Islam and reform do not go together. The Turkish cleric is the head of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs.

Turkish marriage law now allows Muslim clerics to conduct civil marriages; it’s a blow to women’s rights and secularism, activists say.