Two Ankara-based LGBTI NGOs Kaos GL and Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) had challenged the ban in court, initiating their legal action days after Ankara's governorship made the announcement. Both NGOs called the ban illegal and asked for the decision to be revoked.

However, both NGOs’ appeals to halt the Ankara ban have been rejected by the city’s administrative courts.

“The decisions are ridiculous, to be perfectly honest. The blanket ban is indiscriminate, vague, open-ended and a clear breach of fundamental human rights conventions that Turkey has willingly signed up to. It should never have been introduced in the first place, never mind defended.” commented Bjorn van Roozendaal, ILGA-Europe Programmes Director.

News of the court decision in relation to the ban in Ankara is even more concerning in light of the detention (and in some cases, re-arrests) of human rights activists in Turkey earlier this month. This included Kaos GL founder Ali Erol and provides yet another example of the deteriorating situation for civil society in the country. Read more via ILGA