Advocates: Turkish authorities see Christians as a threat to national security

A man wrapped in the Turkish national flag stands near Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Photo: Adem Altan / AFP via Getty Images

On October 13, 2025, Lydia Rieder, a lawyer with the international human rights organization ADF International, speaking at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw, said that Turkish authorities are systematically persecuting Christians, labeling them as “a threat to national security” and using this as a pretext for mass deportations.

“By calling peaceful Christians a security threat, Turkey is abusing the law and violating freedom of religion and belief,” Rieder emphasized. She reminded that the European Court of Human Rights is currently considering the landmark case Wist v. Turkey, which will serve as an important indicator of the state of religious freedom in the country.

According to ADF International, since 2020 more than 200 foreign Christian workers and their family members – about 350 people in total – have been expelled from Turkey. They were assigned internal “security codes” N-82 and G-87, which effectively ban re-entry into the country without any charges or court rulings. Between December 2024 and January 2025 alone, at least 35 such codes were issued.

Human rights groups note that these measures have left many Protestant congregations without pastoral leadership and have gravely disrupted religious life. Although the Turkish Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, in practice authorities restrict Christian activity: the historic Halki Seminary remains closed, Protestant theological schools are denied registration, and Bible study is prohibited – while Islamic theological education continues to receive full state support.

“Freedom of religion cannot exist if believers live under the threat of expulsion for their faith,” the lawyer added. She called on OSCE member states to take concrete steps to end discrimination and abolish the “security codes” applied against Christians.

ADF International emphasized that the forthcoming decision in Wist v. Turkey will set an important precedent for Europe and show whether the international community is truly ready to defend the human right to freedom of faith.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Turkey has, for the second year in a row, banned the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Panagia Sumela Monastery.

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