‘Attack on Christians’: Human rights group responds to Turkey’s defense of missionary expulsions

Rights group ADF International has condemned Turkey’s rejection of a European Parliament resolution on the expulsion of foreign Christians, with critics calling the policy an “attack on Christians” and urging authorities to respect due process and religious freedom.

The European Parliament resolution focused on cases involving at least 300 foreign Christian pastors, missionaries and their families who were deported or denied re-entry under administrative measures known as the N 82 and G 87 security codes.

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its response the day after the European Parliament adopted the resolution by a 502 to 2 vote earlier this month. The resolution raised concerns among lawmakers about the use of national security frameworks to restrict fundamental rights, including freedom of religion.

The ministry said “claims” regarding freedom of expression and religion in the country “contradict the facts” and warned that such criticism could harm efforts to improve relations between Turkey and the European Union. The government also insisted that no foreign body, including the European Parliament, has the authority to intervene in judicial proceedings within Turkey.

EU lawmakers said the measures designated individuals as national security threats without evidence, trial or effective means of appeal, according to a statement by ADF International.

The debate intensified after the European Court of Human Rights agreed earlier this month to examine 20 cases involving foreign Christians who were expelled or barred from returning to Turkey.

ADF International, which is providing legal support in most of the cases, argued that the use of security codes typically reserved for terrorism suspects had been applied to peaceful foreign Christian residents with long records of lawful residence.

European lawmakers cited concerns about limited judicial review, lack of transparency and restricted access to evidence in the cases.

During the parliamentary debate, European People’s Party member Tomislav Sokol said, “These deportations of Christians in Turkey for reasons of national security are one more attack on Christians, the most persecuted religious minority around the world.”

The resolution also noted that many of those affected had lived in Turkey for years before facing deportation or re-entry bans.

Foreign Christians from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Latin America and other parts of Europe have been denied visas or deported in recent years. Many had lived in Turkey with their families for extended periods and had no criminal record or pending legal cases.

The 2024 Human Rights Violation Report by the Association of Protestant Churches documented 132 people arbitrarily branded with entry ban codes, solely because of their Christian faith. The report put the total number affected at 303.

The report also documented multiple incidents of violence, intimidation and discrimination against Christians across Turkey.

One of the pastors affected is Carlos Madrigal, a Spanish Protestant leader who lived legally in Turkey for more than three decades and led churches in the country for 21 years. Madrigal’s residence permit was revoked in 2022 after authorities labeled him a national security threat.

“Turkey’s response is an exercise in semantics to conceal a systematic strategy: they do not officially ‘deport’ us, but they force us to leave by revoking residence permits without evidence,” Madrigal wrote in an op-ed for Evangelical Focus. He added that the decision relied on a secret intelligence file that neither he nor his lawyers were allowed to examine.

Dutch Member of the European Parliament Bert Jan Ruissen, who supported the resolution, urged Turkish authorities to change course.

“The message of our resolution remains crystal clear: Turkish authorities must stop obstructing churches and missionaries,” he said, according to Evangelical Focus. 

The European Christian Political Party also called on European Union institutions, including foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, to raise the issue consistently in political dialogue with Ankara. The party warned that continued inaction could prompt European countries to consider further measures, including renewed scrutiny of Turkey’s long stalled accession process.

ADF International urged Turkish authorities to ensure that security measures align with international human rights obligations.

The European court’s review of the pending cases is expected to determine whether the expulsions violate protections for religious freedom, family life and due process under the European Convention on Human Rights.