resolution motion, 9 February 2026
On targeted expulsions of foreign journalists and foreign Christians in Türkiye under national security pretexts
Motion B-10-2026-0111 · (2026/2613(RSP))
on behalf of The Left Group · Rapporteur: Isabel Serra Sánchez
AI:In short
This resolution condemns Türkiye's expulsions of foreign journalists and Christians under security pretexts, and its broader democratic backsliding and human rights abuses. It calls for suspending the 2016 EU–Türkiye migration deal, stopping deportations and coercion, releasing political prisoners, and making rule of law a condition of EU–Türkiye relations.
Key points
- Deplores the serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Türkiye.
- Denounces arbitrary expulsions of Christian community members and journalists, condemns accusations against Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, and demands suspension of legal proceedings against him and other journalists.
- Deplores intensified deportations of Syrians, Afghans, Iranians, and others, and coercion of Syrians into signing 'voluntary return' forms, violating non-refoulement.
- Urges stopping repression of political opponents, including DEM party members, human rights defenders, and academics; calls for release of Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, and Osman Kavala and dropping charges.
- Rejects all discrimination and condemns rhetoric promoting the 'Great Replacement' theory, which fuels xenophobia and justifies hatred and rights restrictions.
- Deplores EU complicity in migration agreements with Türkiye, criticizes the 2016 deal and border externalization, and condemns Türkiye's instrumentalization of the deal for political leverage.
- Calls on EU institutions to suspend the 2016 migration agreement and ensure no EU funds or agreements contribute to human rights violations.
- Requires the Council to ensure full implementation by Türkiye of rule of law and fundamental rights obligations as an integral part of EU–Türkiye relations.
Who is affected
- Foreign journalists and Christians in Türkiye, including Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, face expulsion and legal proceedings.
- People from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and other nationalities are deported and detained in centres, some EU-funded.
- Political opponents, human rights defenders, academics, and DEM party members face repression; specific detainees include Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, and Osman Kavala.
- EU institutions and the Council are called on to suspend the 2016 migration deal and condition relations on Türkiye's rights record.
Figures and deadlines
Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Full text
Text 19 paragraphs
B100111/2026
European Parliament resolution on targeted expulsions of foreign journalists and foreign Christians in Türkiye under national security pretexts
(2026/2613(RSP))
The European Parliament,
Having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
Whereas foreign journalists have been expelled from Türkiye or denied re-entry after reporting critically on the Kurdish issue, migration policies, and human rights violations;
whereas more than 200 foreign members of Christian communities have been expelled and classified as national security threats; whereas religious minorities are subjected to structural discrimination in Türkiye;
whereas the authorities have intensified deportations of people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran among other nationalities; whereas they have been detained in centres, some of which funded by the EU, where they have been subjected to ill-treatment and inhuman conditions; whereas Syrian nationals have reported being coerced into signing “voluntary return” forms;
whereas these targeted expulsions take place in a broader context of democratic backsliding, the erosion of judicial independence, criminalisation of dissent, and attacks on civil society;
whereas the EU has continued its close cooperation with Türkiye, particularly in the framework of the EU–Türkiye migration deal, despite persistent and documented human rights violations;
Deplores the serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms and human rights in Türkiye and the continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law;
Denounces the arbitrary expulsions of members of Christian communities and journalists and in particular condemns the accusations against the Swedish journalist Joakim Medin and demands to suspend all legal proceedings against him and against all journalists convicted for doing their job;
Read the rest (7 paragraphs)
Deplores the intensification of deportations of people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, among other countries andthe coercion of Syrian nationals into signing so‑called “voluntary return” forms, in contradiction with the principle of non‑refoulement;
Urges the authorities to stop the repression of political opponents in particular members of the DEM party, human rights defenders, and academics; calls for the release of all people arbitrarily detained such as Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, and Osman Kavala, and that the charges against them be immediately dropped or cancelled;
Rejects all forms of discrimination and condemns any rhetoric promoting the so-called "Great Replacement" theory, which fuel xenophobia and justify hatred and restriction of fundamental rights;
Deplores the political and moral complicity of the EU in maintaining migration agreements with Türkiye despite its deteriorating human rights record; criticises the 2016 EU–Türkiye deal as well as the externalisation of EU borders, which have legitimized a model that prioritizes border control over human protection, undermines the right to asylum and transfers violence, repression, and legal responsibility beyond EU territory; condemns Turkiye’s instrumentalization of the deal to obtain political leverage;
Calls on EU institutions to suspend the 2016 migration agreement with Türkiye and to ensure that no EU funds or agreements contribute, directly or indirectly, to human rights violations;
Requires the Council to ensure that full implementation by Türkiye of its rule of law and fundamental rights obligations be an integral part of the EU-Türkiye relationship;
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Turkish authorities.