Turkey's Erdogan Expresses Displeasure With 'LGBT Colors' At UN General Assembly: 'Bothers Me The Most'

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey voiced his disapproval of the vibrant decorations at the United Nations General Assembly, associating them with “LGBT colors.”

This incident took place earlier this week in New York City. The multicolored lights had been put up to emphasize the U.N.’s sustainable development goals.

Erdoğan, who presides over an increasingly hardline stance on LGBTQ rights in his Islamist government, expressed his intention to discuss this matter with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, The Hill reported.

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The Turkish President was quoted as saying, “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,” in an interview with Turkish broadcaster Haberturk.

Interestingly, the U.N. building in New York does not explicitly display pride flags or any other specific symbols for the LGBTQ community. The United Nations has, however, made public statements supporting the LGBTQ community.

The colorful decorations were part of a campaign to promote the U.N.’s list of 17 aspirational tasks for world leaders, aimed at improving conditions such as hunger, extreme poverty, and climate change by 2030.

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Photo by Sasa Dzambic Photography on Shutterstock