EP condemns Turkey for deportations of Christians from country

A flag of Turkey in Ankara. Photo: Depositphotos

On February 12, 2026, at a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the deportations of foreign Christians and journalists from Turkey under the pretext of national security. This is stated in the parliament's official press release.

The document was adopted with 502 votes "in favor," 2 "against," and 59 abstentions. The text indicates that Turkish authorities use unfounded national security grounds and do not provide persons subject to expulsion with proper procedural guarantees. Deputies emphasized the lack of access to evidence and effective judicial review in deportation cases.

The European Parliament called on Ankara to immediately cease judicial and administrative persecution of foreign journalists, as well as suspend expulsion procedures. Regarding Christians, the parliament demanded abandoning the use of administrative codes N-82 and G-87, under which at least 300 foreign believers were deemed a "threat to national security," and ensure the possibility of independent review of decisions.

The resolution also contains a call to allow the return of persons who were arbitrarily deported. The document was adopted in the broader context of discussing the human rights situation, freedom of religion, and press freedom in Turkey, as well as within the framework of a package of resolutions concerning human rights violations in several countries.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that leaders of Turkey and Greece will discuss the religious agenda with Patriarch Bartholomew.

Read also