LGBTQ cruise ship turned away by Turkey and Egypt in same week

🇹🇷🇪🇬 A cruise packed with nearly 2,000 LGBTQ passengers just got turned away by two countries in one week.

Turkey said no first, refusing to let the Scarlet Lady dock in Kuşadası or Istanbul over "moral values."

So it rerouted to Egypt, which took one look and said no thanks…

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 10, 2026

A cruise packed with nearly 2,000 LGBTQ passengers just got turned away by two countries in one week.

Turkey said no first, refusing to let the Scarlet Lady dock in Kuşadası or Istanbul over “moral values.”

So it rerouted to Egypt, which took one look and said no thanks too.

The organizers are calling it unprecedented and heartbreaking.

Two Muslim-majority countries declining to host a gay mega-cruise is just about the least surprising plot twist of the summer.