Istanbul Ready for Huge LGBT Festival?

Greece and Turkey's "premiere" gay travel agency/party promoter is planning a blow-out party in conjunction with Istanbul's next LGBT Pride.

The Instanball Pride Festival happens June 26-30, 2014, in the middle of Istanbul's gay pride week, which last year brought 50,000 people to the ancient city that straddles Europe and Asia. While Turkey is considered a mostly-secular nation, the vast majority of the population in Muslim. Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, was the center of nationwide protests last year that originated from a redevelopment project but later encompassed the government's restrictions on certain freedoms and police brutality.

The Istanball Pride Festival includes the requisite parties, with high-profile DJs spinning at the city's gay nightclubs. Also planned: a sunset cruise dinner party, city tour, and a Turkish hammam experience. The four-night festival includes packages that include hotel rooms, with packages starting at 670 Euros (about $920) for double occupancy. Participants can also take part in additional trip to historicTurkish cities that include Cappadocia, Bodrum, Ephesus, and Alacati.

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