Turkey's recent actions against foreign Christian workers have raised serious questions about religious freedom in the nation.
As reported by Fox News, Turkey has systematically targeted these peaceful residents, labeling them as threats without clear evidence. More than 350 individuals have been deported since 2020, often under the vague banner of "national security."
This pattern, highlighted at a recent Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) conference, suggests a troubling misuse of administrative power to suppress a minority faith. The numbers alone paint a stark picture, with at least 35 deportations occurring between December 2024 and January 2025. Legal advocates argue this isn't just bureaucratic overreach but a direct assault on the right to worship freely.
The Turkish Ministry of Interior has assigned "security codes" like N-82 and G-87 to those expelled, effectively banning them from re-entering the country. These codes brand individuals as risks, yet the evidence for such claims often remains absent or flimsy.
Take the case of Kenneth Wiest, a U.S. citizen who lived legally in Turkey for over 30 years with his family. Deported in 2019 without any documented wrongdoing, his story, now before the European Court of Human Rights, could set a vital precedent for protecting religious liberty.
Critics point out that under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership, policies increasingly appear to marginalize religious minorities. This isn't about isolated incidents but a broader trend that demands scrutiny.
At the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference on Monday, Lidia Rieder of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International called out Turkey's tactics. "Turkey’s labeling of peaceful Christian residents as ‘security threats’ is a clear misuse of law and an attack on freedom of religion or belief," she stated, cutting through diplomatic niceties.
Her words aren't mere rhetoric; they reflect a growing unease about how governments can weaponize immigration systems to exclude based on faith. If tolerance is a cornerstone of international cooperation, as the OSCE claims, then Turkey's actions seem to mock that ideal.
Rieder also noted to Fox News Digital that even the Turkish delegation at the conference admitted discrimination against Christians is rising across the region. Yet, acknowledging a problem while deporting families hardly signals a commitment to fixing it.
Turkey's response, via its Communications Center for Countering Disinformation, dismissed ADF's claims as "completely unfounded" and part of a smear campaign. The statement boasted of historical coexistence among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities, insisting that respect for faiths is central to Turkey's democratic order.
But lofty words about pluralism ring hollow when specific cases like Wiest's go unaddressed. Ankara's claim that no visa decisions are based on identity or affiliation feels like a dodge when security codes are slapped on without transparent justification.
The Turkish embassy in D.C. sidestepped direct questions from Fox News Digital, pointing only to this generic statement. If the goal was to reassure, the silence on individual stories achieves the opposite.
Rieder didn't mince words in her closing plea at the OSCE conference, stating, "Freedom of religion cannot exist if believers live under threat of expulsion for practicing their faith." Her challenge to participating states is clear: commitments to tolerance must translate into tangible protections, not just speeches.
The ball is now in the court of international bodies like the OSCE, which has yet to outline concrete steps to address Turkey's policies. Silence or inaction risks emboldening other nations to follow suit, using "security" as a cover for discrimination.
Religious liberty isn't a luxury to be granted or revoked at a government's whim; it's a fundamental right that Turkey must uphold. Until deportations cease and transparency reigns, the nation's claims of fostering coexistence will remain under a dark cloud of doubt.
