Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF International), a Christian advocacy organization, has accused the Turkish government of misusing national security laws to expel more than 200 foreign Christian workers and their families — affecting nearly 350 individuals — under what it described as a “systematic campaign” against religious freedom.
The group made the allegations during the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human rights conference held in Warsaw on October 13, according to a report by the Stockholm Center for Freedom.
ADF International claimed that Turkish authorities assigned security codes such as N-82 and G-87 to foreign Christians, branding them as national security threats and banning their re-entry without presenting evidence of wrongdoing.
“These are peaceful residents — pastors, teachers, and church volunteers — who have lived in Turkey for years with their families,” said Lidia Rieder, Legal Officer at ADF International. “Labeling them as threats is a misuse of the law and an attack on religious freedom.”
The organization added that deportations and entry bans are increasingly being used to silence Christian activities, while restrictions on theological education and worship have worsened. The Halki Seminary remains closed, Protestant seminaries lack legal recognition, and Bible education is heavily restricted.
Turkey’s Center for Combating Disinformation dismissed the accusations on October 15, describing them as “completely unfounded” and part of a “deliberate disinformation campaign.” The statement said administrative actions against foreign nationals were based on visa violations and threats to public order, not religion.
One high-profile case involves Kenneth Arthur Wiest, an American citizen who was denied re-entry to Turkey after returning from a trip to the U.S., despite having lived legally in the country for over 30 years. ADF International claims he was targeted for his involvement with a Christian church.
Wiest was assigned the N-82 code, which requires prior approval from the Ministry of Interior for re-entry. He was denied authorization, unable to access the case documents, and his appeal to the Constitutional Court was dismissed as “unsubstantiated.”
The European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ), which joined Wiest’s legal challenge, said the entry bans are part of a broader effort to suppress Christian missionary activity in Turkey, adding that “no similar measures have been imposed on foreign Muslims.”
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is expected to issue a ruling soon, which ADF International said could “set a crucial precedent for the protection of religious freedom in Europe and beyond.”
The ADF is currently representing more than 30 cases before the ECtHR and Turkish courts, claiming systemic violations of Articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect freedom of religion and non-discrimination.
Turkey’s treatment of Christians has drawn attention from international observers, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which recently recommended that Turkey be placed on the U.S. State Department’s Special Watch List.
In 2018, tensions between the U.S. and Turkey escalated over the detention of American Pastor Andrew Brunson, whose two-year imprisonment prompted then-President Donald Trump to impose economic sanctions until Brunson’s release.
