Turkish riot police officers block ways to Istikjlal avenue for LGBT rights activist as they try to gather for a pride parade, which was banned by the governorship, in central Istanbul, on June 25, 2017. (AFP PHOTO)

ISTANBUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Sunday used rubber bullets and water canon to break up marches by groups of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) in central Istanbul.

Around 200 people gathered on several sidestreets near the city's bustling Istiklal Avenue and tried to march toward the Taksim Square nearby to stage their annual rally despite a ban.

The ban was imposed by the provincial governor for the third year in a row, citing threats from ultranationalists.

The riot police cordoned off the Taksim square by deploying armed vehicles, water cannons and dogs.

At least 22 people were detained as police fired rubber bullets on a group of 50 people to prevent them from marching toward the square.

Water cannon was used against another group in the Cihangir neighborhood, local media reports said.

This year's LGBT parade in Istanbul fell on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.