Turkey has been accused of deporting hundreds of peaceful Christians under the guise of “national security,” including dozens last year. Legal advocates warn it is an “attack” on religious freedom.
In a speech on Monday before the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), legal expert from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International Lidia Rieder warned that Turkey is systematically targeting Christians simply “because they practice their faith”.
“Turkey’s labeling of peaceful Christian residents as ‘security threats’ is a clear abuse of the law and an attack on freedom of religion or belief,” Rieder said at the OSCE Conference on the Human Dimension in Warsaw. “When governments manipulate administrative or immigration systems to exclude people solely on the basis of their faith, this undermines both the rule of law and the principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence that the OSCE sought to protect.”
Visitors gather outside the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, Turkey, on September 7, 2025. (Bilal Seckin/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
TURKEY MOVES OLD CHURCH INTO MOSQUE, INITIATES DEBATE ON HERITAGE PRESERVATION
More than since 2020 350 foreign Christian workers and their relatives have been expelled from Turkey, including at least 35 cases between December 2024 and January 2025, the ADF reported.
According to the international watchdog, Turkey’s Interior Ministry has assigned those targeted by Ankara “security codes” such as N-82 and G-87, which effectively prevent them from ever re-entering the country as it classifies them as a threat to national security.
Rieder also reminded the OSCE conference of the “landmark case” Wiest v. Turkey, which is currently before the European Court of Human Rights and “expected to set a crucial precedent for the protection of religious freedom in Europe and beyond.”
Kenneth Wiest, a U.S. citizen and Protestant, was born, raised, and subsequently lived legally in Turkey with his wife and three children for more than 30 years before being deported in 2019 when he returned from a trip “with no evidence of wrongdoing.”
His case is just the latest in what is increasingly seen as discriminatory policies that have persecuted religious minorities since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came to power more than a decade ago.
Women pray during the annual service at the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, Turkey, on September 7, 2025. (Bilal Seckin/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
TRUMP: ERDOGAN COULD BE ‘INFLUENTIAL’ in Ending Putin’s War by Ending Oil Sales ‘IF HE WANTS’
“While Turkey underlined its commitment to promoting tolerance through international cooperation, the same principles must be upheld within its own borders,” she said. “The reality on the ground remains deeply concerning for many individuals, families and communities who continue to face restrictions on worship, deportations and barriers to religious education.
“Turkey’s call to hear the voices of the victims and respect fundamental freedoms for all must now be translated into concrete action,” Rieder added.
The agency pointed to the history of Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities coexisting and said Turkey is working to “protect” and “restore” places of worship.
“Respect for religious beliefs and pluralism are indispensable elements of the democratic order of our country,” the statement said. “Turkey, like any other sovereign state, can make administrative decisions about foreigners for a variety of reasons, including visa violations, disruption of public order or lack of legal permits.”
The communications department said no visa-based decisions were made based on “identity or affiliation.”
We see a priest (R) kissing a sacred symbol owned by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I celebrated the Easter Vigil ceremony at St. George’s Cathedral in Fener, Turkey on April 20, 2025. (Valeria Ferraro/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images))
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The statement did not directly address the case involving Wiest.
“Freedom of religion cannot exist if believers live under the threat of deportation for practicing their faith,” Rieder said. “The OSCE and its participating states have pledged to promote tolerance and non-discrimination. These pledges must be fulfilled not only in word, but also in action.”
