Some U.N. diplomats suggested Erdogan might have confused the 17 colors associated with the Sustainable Development Goals with the rainbow Pride colors.
Erdogan said he would have liked to discuss it with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkish media reported on Thursday.
Turkey’s government — led by Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party — has toughened its stance on LGBTQ freedoms.
“One of the issues that bothers me the most ... is that when entering the United Nations General Assembly, you see the LGBT colors on steps and other places,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by broadcaster Haberturk and others.
However, some U.N. diplomats suggested Erdogan might have confused the 17 different colors associated with the Sustainable Development Goals — and decorating parts of U.N. headquarters, including steps, for a summit that was held earlier this week — with the rainbow Pride colors associated with LGBTQ rights.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by world leaders in 2015 with a deadline of 2030, are a global “to do” list that includes wiping out hunger, extreme poverty, battling climate change and inequality, and promoting gender equality.
Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but hostility to it is widespread, and police crackdowns on Pride parades have become tougher over the years.
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