resolution motion, 9 February 2026
On targeted expulsions of foreign journalists and foreign Christians in Türkiye under national security pretexts
Motion B-10-2026-0131 · (2026/2613(RSP))
on behalf of the PPE Group · Rapporteur: Sebastião Bugalho, Tomislav Sokol, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Tomas Tobé, Loucas Fourlas, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Miriam Lexmann, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Davor Ivo Stier, Łukasz Kohut, Wouter Beke, Inese Vaidere, Vangelis Meimarakis, Jessica Polfjärd
AI:In short
This resolution condemns Türkiye's use of national security pretexts to expel foreign Christians and journalists, citing cases like Kaveh Taheri and Kenneth Arthur Wiest. It urges Türkiye to ensure fair treatment, review security codes, lift unjustified bans, and protect press freedom.
Key points
- Strongly condemns any systematic or targeted use of immigration and security legislation to expel or exclude foreign nationals solely on the basis of religion, belief, or religious activities.
- Deplores the lack of access to evidence, reliance on undisclosed intelligence, and absence of meaningful judicial review, undermining fair trial and effective remedy rights.
- Urges Turkish authorities to ensure national security measures are strictly necessary, proportionate, individually reasoned, subject to genuine judicial review, and compliant with international human rights obligations.
- Calls on Turkish authorities to review security-code classifications such as N-82 and G-87.
- Calls for lifting unjustified entry bans and restoring residence rights where no criminal conduct has been established.
- Calls on Türkiye to ensure foreign and domestic journalists can work freely and without fear of detention, deportation, or judicial harassment; not to expel Kaveh Taheri or other foreign journalists.
- Calls on the High Representative and the Commission to raise these concerns systematically in political dialogue with Türkiye.
Who is affected
- Foreign Christians, including Protestant pastors and church workers, and foreign journalists in Türkiye, such as Kaveh Taheri.
- Turkish authorities, who are urged to review security codes and ensure fair treatment.
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 20 paragraphs
B100131/2026
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 its previous resolutions on Türkiye,
having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
whereas credible reports from civil society organisations, church associations and international human rights advocates indicate that, since 2019, the Turkish authorities have increasingly used administrative “national security” classifications, including the so-called N-82 and G-87 security codes, to deport, deny re-entry to foreign Christians, including Protestant pastors and church workers;
whereas, according to the Association of Protestant Churches in Türkiye (TEK), at least 132 foreign Christians have been expelled or subjected to entry bans, affecting over 300 individuals including family members, many of them long-term residents with no criminal record;
whereas Christians are reported to be the most persecuted religious group globally and the failure to acknowledge and address this undermines credibility of international efforts to protect freedom of religion or belief;
whereas several applications concerning foreign Christians expelled under the same scheme are pending before the European Court of Human Rights, including Kenneth Arthur Wiest v. Türkiye, a leading case expected in 2026 that may set a precedent for at least twenty similar cases;
whereas Robert Andrew Hoard, a US national who lived in Türkiye for 30 years, was expelled under the N-82 security code without any identification of concrete actions constituting a threat to national security;
whereas concerns have also arisen over the detention and deportation of foreign journalists; whereas the case of Iranian journalist Kaveh Taheri, a UNHCR recognised refugee who is currently detained and reportedly facing deportation to Iran, is of particular concern;
Read the rest (8 paragraphs)
Strongly condemns any systematic or targeted use of immigration and security legislation to expel or exclude foreign nationals solely on the basis of their religion, belief, or religious activities;
Deplores the reported lack of access to evidence, the reliance on undisclosed intelligence assessments and the absence of meaningful judicial review, which undermine the rights to a fair trial and to an effective remedy;
Urges the Turkish authorities to ensure that any national security measures affecting foreign nationals are strictly necessary, proportionate, individually reasoned, subject to genuine judicial review, and fully compliant with international human rights obligations, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression;
Calls on Turkish authorities to review security-code classifications such as N-82 and G-87;
Calls for the lifting of unjustified entry bans and the restoration of residence rights where no criminal conduct has been established;
Calls on Türkiye to ensure that foreign and domestic journalists can work freely, independently and without fear of detention, deportation or judicial harassment in connection with their professional activities; calls on Türkiye not to expel Kaveh Taheri, and any other foreign journalists;
Calls in HR/VP and the Commission to raise these concerns systematically in the political dialogue with Türkiye;
Instructs its President to forward this resolution the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the President, Government and Parliament of Türkiye.