Court finds November 25 Beyoğlu women's march ban unlawful

An Istanbul administrative court has declared a ban on a women's march planned for November 25 in Beyoğlu unlawful. The Istanbul Governorate had prohibited all events, including gatherings, marches, and press statements, for two days citing the need to protect public order and security.

However, the Istanbul 12th Administrative Court found that the Governorate failed to present specific information or documents to substantiate its ban. The court emphasized that there was no clear and imminent danger to public security and that the designated area not being a pre-approved demonstration site was insufficient grounds for a complete prohibition.

The Istanbul Bar Association had challenged the ban, leading to the court's initial ruling. Both the Istanbul Governorate and the Beyoğlu District Governorate appealed the decision. Their appeals argued that social media posts could create public outrage and threaten social peace, and reiterated that the area was not a designated protest route.

Ultimately, the 10th Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court upheld the lower court's decision. The appellate court concluded that the reasons presented in the appeals were not sufficient to overturn the ruling. Consequently, the decision that the ban on November 25 women's events in Beyoğlu was unlawful has become final.