Image for representation purposes only Turkish authorities have stopped a cruise ship chartered for American LGBTQ+ travellers from docking at two planned ports, forcing the vessel to change its Mediterranean itinerary after officials said the group was not compatible with the country’s “moral values” and “family values.” The decision affects the Scarlet Lady, a Virgin Voyages cruise ship chartered by Atlantis Events for its 10-day “Athens to Venice” cruise. The ship is scheduled to leave Greece on July 5 and was due to dock at the Turkish port of Kuşadası on July 7 before continuing to Istanbul. Instead, Atlantis Events said the ship will now visit Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete after Turkish authorities cancelled both planned stops. Officials in Turkey’s Aydin province, where Kuşadası is located, said the cruise had been chartered by organisations “known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.” They added there was “absolutely no possibility” of allowing the group to visit the province for an event of that nature. The voyage is expected to carry about 1,900 passengers, including around 1,100 from the United States. The remaining guests are from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, according to Atlantis Events President and CEO Rich Campbell. Campbell said it was the first time in the company’s 36-year history that it had been prevented from docking because of the identity of its passengers. “It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Campbell told CNN. “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not,” he added. Atlantis describes the cruise as an “epic adventure” across the Mediterranean, with stops in destinations including the Gree