The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has agreed to hear two cases brought by Kaos GL, a LGBTI+ rights group, concerning bans on LGBTI+ marches and events in Turkey.

The cases have been combined into a single review, and challenge restrictions imposed by Turkish authorities in 2016 and 2017.

Kaos GL initially appealed to the ECtHR after the Ankara Governor's Office banned a march against homophobia in 2016 and imposed an indefinite ban on all LGBTI+ events during the state of emergency in 2017. The organization said that these bans violated fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly, freedom of association, and the prohibition of discrimination.

The ECtHR has begun its examination by questioning whether the ban on the 2016 march violated the right to peaceful assembly and whether the restrictions were legally justified and proportionate. The court also questioned whether Turkish authorities had taken the necessary steps to ensure the march could take place safely rather than imposing a blanket ban.

The ECtHR has asked Turkey to clarify the legal basis for the indefinite ban on LGBTI+ events imposed during the state of emergency from July 2016 to June 2018.

The court is investigating whether this decision unlawfully hindered Kaos GL’s ability to pursue its legitimate goals and whether it amounted to discrimination.

Turkey has until 1 October to respond to the questions or to indicate its stance on reaching a friendly settlement in the case.