The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has agreed to examine 20 cases involving foreign Christians who were expelled from Turkey or denied re-entry after being classified as security risks, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) reported.
The applications concern government classification codes used since 2019 to label individuals as threats to public order or national security. The codes, N-82 and G-87, prevent affected individuals from obtaining or renewing residence permits and can bar them from re-entering the country even after years or decades of legal residence.
ADF, a US-based Christian legal advocacy and litigation organization, said the court’s decision to review the cases raises broader questions about religious freedom and protections against discrimination under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). According to ADF International, ADF’s global affiliate, Turkey has expelled more than 200 Christian workers and their families, affecting roughly 350 individuals through the codes.
The advocacy group said several of the cases involve pastors, teachers and missionaries who were expelled or refused entry without being informed of the allegations against them.
Dave and Pam Wilson, a US missionary couple who had lived in Turkey for decades, were denied re-entry in 2019 after traveling to the United States to visit relatives. At Istanbul Airport, authorities informed them that deportation orders and entry bans had been issued against them, forcing them to remain abroad.
David Byle, a Christian minister who had lived in Turkey for 19 years, also left the country after authorities imposed an entry-ban code. He and his wife had raised their five children in Turkey before relocating to Germany following the decision.
A British couple identified in court documents as Rachel and Mario Zalma moved to Istanbul in 2009 to support a church community and organize activities such as language classes and charity events. Authorities assigned Mario an “N-82” code in 2019 and applied a similar designation to Rachel a year later, preventing both from returning.
Although making up less than 1 percent of the population, Christians in Turkey have been facing increasing hostility, with the state often failing to prosecute acts of discrimination and violence.
