The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to review 20 cases concerning Christians forced out of Turkey for their faith, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International announced on Feb. 6.
The cases center on codes the Turkish government used to brand foreign Christian residents as national security threats. Two such codes—N-82 and G-87—bar individuals from living in or reentering the country and strip their resident status, regardless of their legal residence and despite years or decades of residence. The codes were first implemented in 2019, and hundreds of foreign Christians have been blocked from reentering the country or from receiving residential permits.
According to the 2024 Human Rights Violation Report, 132 people have been prevented by the codes from entering because of their Christian beliefs, and a total of 303 Christians have been affected by the codes.
The majority of the 20 cases under review by the European Court of Human Rights are supported by ADF International.
“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, an ADF International legal officer. “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.”
The classification codes, which label an individual as a “threat to public order and security,” typically refers to terrorist suspects.
ADF International’s press release says the cases raise “serious questions” about the rights safeguarded under the European Convention on Human Rights, including religious liberty, family life and protection from discrimination.
The cases also 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,” states ADF International.
The press release details cases of discrimination, including Dave and Pam Wilson, a U.S. missionary couple who married in 1988 and ministered together in Turkey until 2019. After they returned from a holiday trip in the U.S., they were barred from entering at the Istanbul airport.
Missionary David Byle served in Turkey for 19 years until he was forced to leave. Another couple, under the pseudonyms Rachel and Mario Zalma, lived in Turkey for approximately 10 years before they were flagged with the N-82 code—Mario in 2019, Rachel a year later.
“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.”
Photo above: Legal Officer for ADF International Lidia Rieder (left) with David Byle (right) and his wife (center).