USCIRF and European Parliament Challenge Turkey’s Expulsion of Foreign Christians
The ongoing issue of foreign Christians being expelled from Turkey has stirred significant international concern, with both the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the European Parliament taking a stand. The root of the controversy lies in the expulsion of more than 200 foreign Christian workers since 2020, affecting roughly 350 individuals in total.
The ramifications have been profound for Protestant congregations in Turkey, which now face a leadership vacuum as many expelled individuals were ordained ministers. Some of these ministers had served for decades in Turkey, deeply integrating into local communities.
Recently, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) addressed 20 cases regarding Christians barred from Turkey, which coincided with the EU Parliament’s resolution. This resolution criticized Turkey for removing foreign Christians based on “unsubstantiated national-security pretexts and without due process” (source).
The USCIRF has expressed its concern by recommending that Turkey be placed on a Special Watch List for religious freedom violations. Vicky Hartzle, Chair of USCIRF, commented, “Turkey’s arbitrary labelling of foreign-born Protestant Christians as national security threats is meant to intimidate the Christian community and prevent them from gathering for worship. Everyone, regardless of residency status, has the right to freedom of religion or belief under international law.”
Hartzle also urged the US administration to continue the diplomatic momentum initiated by President Trump’s discussions with President Erdoğan to seek improvements in Turkey’s religious freedom policies.
ADF International is representing many of the Christians affected, some of whom were residents of Turkey for many years before being denied re-entry. Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy at ADF International, stated, “We hope that the US government and the international community will continue to stand up for this fundamental right and call on Turkey to put an end to the targeted expulsions of Christian missionaries.”
Turkey, however, has rejected claims of misconduct and criticized foreign involvement in the situation as meddling in its domestic affairs. The Turkish government’s stance remains firm, denying any wrongful actions related to the expulsion of foreign Christians.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
