ANKARA - The Ankara 7th Administrative Court has concluded that the ban on the 9th LGBTI+ Pride Parade to be held in Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara in 2019 was unlawful. The court has overturned the ban.

 

The Ankara 7th Administrative Court has overturned the ban imposed by the Middle East Technical University (METU) Presidency on the 9th METU LGBTI+ Pride Parade to be held in the campus in Ankara last year.

 

The court has concluded that the decision of the METU Presidency, which banned the parade by claiming that the indefinite ban on LGBTI+ events imposed by the Ankara Governor's Office based on State of Emergency Law in November 2017 was still in effect, was contrary to law.

 

In its ruling, the Ankara 7th Administrative Court has reminded the parties that the indefinite ban on LGBTI+ events declared by the Ankara Governor's Office in November 2017 based on the State of Emergency Law was lifted by the Regional Administrative Court in April 2019 and that the second indefinite ban on LGBTI+ events notified to the Ankara Security Directorate by Ankara Governor's Office on October 3, 2018 was also lifted by the Ankara 2nd Administrative Court on March 23.

 

As it has been understood that the ban of the METU Presidency no longer has legal basis as other LGBTI+ bans were previously overturned in Ankara, the court has concluded that the ban was not lawful.