Europe’s top human rights court is about to put a hard spotlight on a quiet but disturbing campaign that has pushed Christians out of Turkey without criminal charges, convictions, or even clear explanations.
For years, foreign believers who built lives, families, and ministries in the country have found themselves suddenly branded “security threats,” locked out at airports, or stripped of residency with the stroke of a bureaucratic pen.
Now, that systematic discrimination is headed for a reckoning in Strasbourg.
Turkey’s banning of Christians to come before court
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has formally taken up and “communicated” 20 cases brought by Christians whom Turkey effectively banned from re-entry solely for living out their faith.
These cases — almost all supported by ADF International — stem from the Turkish government’s use of internal security codes such as “N-82” to label peaceful foreign Christian residents as threats to national security, blocking them from entering or remaining in the country despite long-standing lawful residence.
Since 2019, Turkish authorities have issued internal security codes like “N-82” and “G-87” to hundreds of foreign Christians, preventing them from re-entering Turkey after trips abroad or denying them residence permits. These measures have affected at least 160 foreign workers and their families — estimated to be hundreds of individuals — many of whom lived and served in Turkey for decades.
The ECtHR has jointly communicated these cases to the Turkish Government, indicating that the Court considers the applications sufficiently related to be examined together and has invited Turkey to submit its observations as the proceedings move forward.
“Peaceful worship and participation in church life are not threats to national security. Yet foreign Christians in Türkiye — pastors, teachers, ministry workers, and missionaries — have been labelled security risks and expelled based on undisclosed files,” said Dr. Lidia Rider, Legal Officer for ADF International. “Deprived of access to the allegations, they had no meaningful opportunity to defend themselves in courts. The Court’s communication of these cases is a crucial step toward accountability and redress.”
Turkey’s “labeling” system
The government’s use of these codes effectively labels individuals as a “threat to public order and security,” a classification normally reserved for terrorism suspects. In practice, however, those targeted have no criminal records and no evidence of unlawful conduct — the only thing that they have in common is openly practicing and sharing their Christian faith.
The 2024 Human Rights Violation Report presented by the Protestant Church Association records 132 people who have been arbitrarily branded with an entry ban code, preventing them from entering Turkey solely on the basis of their Christian faith.
The total number of those affected is 303, according to the report.
Reports of similar measures affecting many foreign Protestant Christians show that these cases are not isolated, but point to a wider pattern of systemic discrimination.
The cases raise serious questions about fundamental rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights — including freedom of religion, family life, and protection from discrimination — and highlight the need for clear, evidence-based decisions when governments invoke public order or national security, especially given the severe disruption these sudden and unexplained bans have caused to long-term residents and their families.
Real people, real consequences
This issue is not abstract, nor is it hypothetical. These are real bans on real people. And these bans have not only separated families from the communities they helped build but also left local churches without stable leadership, weakening the already-small Christian presence in a country where Christians make up a tiny fraction of the population.
Dave and Pam Wilson
After getting married in 1988, Dave and Pam continued to minister to those in Turkey. Throughout the years, they faced several attempts at deportation by authorities targeting them for their missionary activity.
In early February 2019, however, Dave and Pam left Turkey to spend the Christmas holidays with family in the U.S. When they returned to Turkey, they were told at the Istanbul airport that they had both deportation orders and entry bans imposed on them.
In July 2021, ADF International filed an ECtHR application against Turkey on behalf of the Wilsons.
David Byle
David Byle, a Christian minister living in Turkey, was forced to leave the country he had called home for 19 years simply because he shared his faith. He and his wife had raised their five children in Turkey and had become close-knit members of the community.
The Byles now reside in Germany. An ADF International allied lawyer is now seeking to initiate a new case in Turkey to challenge his entry ban as his visa application was rejected in 2022, and five years have passed since the imposition of the code.
Rachel and Mario Zalma*
In 2009, British couple Rachel and Mario Zalma* (*pseudonyms) moved to Istanbul to support a new Christian church community. They invested significant time in learning the language, history, and customs of the local people. Desiring to bless their neighborhood, their church offered free English classes and a parent-child playgroup. Donations from their annual Christmas fair went to local charities.
Then in 2019, before leaving for a trip to the U.K., Mario was stopped by the police and informed that he also had been labeled with the “N-82” code. Rachel was labeled a year later. With the support of ADF International, Rachel and Mario have now brought their case before the European Court of Human Rights.
A longstanding effort to expose systemic abuse
Over several years, ADF International has raised awareness of these human rights violations through, among other activities, workshops with local lawyers, academic publications, and expert submissions highlighting systemic violations of freedom of religion or belief and related rights.
ADF International directly represents four individuals before the Court, two of whom are lead applicants, and has supported nearly all the other cases.
“We welcome the Court’s decision to jointly communicate these cases. These are not isolated mistakes or one-off decisions,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom for ADF International. “By examining these cases together, the Court is acknowledging that they may reveal a pattern of discrimination against Christians in Türkiye. We look to the Court to uphold the fundamental principle that governments cannot strip people of their rights simply for living out their faith.”
This international advocacy is only made possible through the faithful generosity of ADF’s Ministry Friends, whose support helps defend fundamental freedoms—both abroad and here in the United States.
Related Articles
