Bülent Kılıç

Hundreds of LGBT activists detained for taking part in a banned Istanbul Pride Parade on Sunday were released on Monday after a night in detention.

"Police interrogation of 373 people who were detained yesterday is now over, and they will be sent to hospital before being released," the organisers of Istanbul Pride Week said.

Some 170 people, including journalists, were detained on Tuesday after Turkish police aggressively prevented people from marking the ninth anniversary of the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul.

The crowd was not allowed to enter Taksim Square and Gezi Park and police used violence to stop demonstrators, with barricades, tear gas and batons.

Turkish police detained at least 46 people on June 26 in Istanbul who gathered in the city's central İstiklal Avenue for a Pride parade.

The statement from the local police headquarters noted that local authorities banned the planned LGBT march at Taksim Square and along İstiklal Avenue.