International campaigners formed a protective cordon around Turkish protesters as they joined thousands of climate activists in Antalya, drawing attention to escalating restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights.
ANTALYA, Turkey – LGBTQ+ activists in Turkey defied a growing government crackdown on their community on Saturday, November 14, by publicly waving rainbow flags during an international climate march held alongside the COP31 summit in Antalya.
The protesters were shielded by civil society campaigners from different countries, who formed a protective cordon around the LGBTQ+ group as its members unfurled rainbow flags and displayed placards.
The demonstration offered a rare opportunity for Turkish LGBTQ+ activists to publicly express themselves amid an intensifying wave of police raids, arrests and restrictions targeting rights organisations and their members.
One activist, identified only as Özgür, 20, said carrying a rainbow flag felt dangerous because police would ordinarily prevent such displays.
She described life in Turkey as feeling like imprisonment, adding that the presence of international media had created an opportunity for activists to demonstrate.
Another protester, who identified herself as Beren, said she was excited to wave the flag but was distressed that a transgender friend could not attend because she was in detention.
Police impose tight security around climate march
Turkish authorities deployed a heavy security operation around the demonstration at Aydin Kanza Park, where participants were searched and their bags inspected.
Steel barriers were erected along the protest route, while police examined slogans on placards and photographed some of them.
Asad Rehman, chief executive of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said participants had been instructed to carry their passports and were subjected to searches.
He described the demonstration as an important opportunity for international campaigners to support Turkish civil society groups facing repression and create space for their voices to be heard.
The participation of LGBTQ+ activists had been organised in advance, with organisers ensuring that rainbow flags would only be unfurled after the group was surrounded by international campaigners and media representatives.
Lucia Posteraro, a consultant at the International Federation for Human Rights, said international organisations were closely monitoring the group to protect its members from possible coercive action by security forces.
Crackdown on LGBTQ+ organisations intensifies
The march came amid a wave of arrests and restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ people and rights organisations in Turkey since September 2026.
According to ILGA-Europe, a series of coordinated operations beginning on September 12 involved detentions, arrests, raids on homes and organisational offices, as well as restrictions on websites and social media accounts associated with LGBTQ+ groups.
Amnesty International also reported that at least 116 people had been arrested following police raids across 15 provinces by September 22, while more than 160 people faced criminal investigations.
The rights organisation said the crackdown had included restrictions on online platforms and allegations of mistreatment of detained activists.
Climate march highlights wider struggles
Beyond LGBTQ+ rights, the Antalya demonstration brought together campaigners seeking action on environmental destruction, climate change and restrictions on civic freedoms.
Özlem Katısöz of Climate Action Network Turkey said the march provided an opportunity to highlight grassroots campaigns defending villages, forests and local communities.
Activists from other countries also used the gathering to raise concerns about environmental challenges and restrictions on public participation in their home countries.
Triana Kurnia Wardani, representing Indonesian democratic women’s organisation Seruni, drew attention to forest and land fires in Indonesia, saying communities affected by the haze needed international support.
The march featured chants, music, performances, stilts and large banners calling for climate justice and accountability from major polluters.
Greenpeace volunteer Ufuk Anil, who wore a polar bear costume during the demonstration, said he wanted to draw attention to rising temperatures and the need to keep the global warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.
He said his participation was motivated partly by concern for the future his young daughter would inherit.
COP31 negotiations face pressure for progress
The demonstration took place as COP31 reached the halfway point, with negotiations continuing over climate action, emissions reductions and financing for developing countries.
Campaigners used the march to demand that governments take stronger action against polluters and address the consequences of climate change.
Louise Hutchins, co-convener of the Make Polluters Pay international coalition, said campaigners would continue pressing governments to make polluters accountable.
Meanwhile, Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate chief, urged negotiating countries to move quickly on the most difficult issues and avoid delaying substantive discussions.
He warned that reaching a collective agreement would require compromise from all participating parties.
The COP31 summit is scheduled to conclude on November 20, 2026.
