Minority groups, refugees and migrants in Turkey continued to face discrimination, violence and forced returns in 2025.
Syrians were among the most vulnerable groups. According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, as of December 2025 some 550,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey had returned home following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Almost 2.4 million Syrian refugees remain in Turkey, from a high of more than 3.5 million who had sheltered there at one point.
Refugees held in deportation centers were allegedly beaten, deprived of basic needs and pressured into signing “voluntary” return documents. In one case Turkish authorities deported a Syrian mother, leaving her five children behind in Turkey.
Rights groups also raised alarm over refugees losing their protected status and access to medical treatment, including a Syrian man with HIV and a severely disabled Afghan refugee.
Human rights advocates warned that Iranian refugees could be returned to Iran after changes in asylum procedures transferred responsibility from the United Nations to Turkish authorities.
Human Rights Watch said Turkey was increasingly restricting the legal stay of Uyghurs and deporting some to third countries despite the risk of eventual return to China. A Guinean doctor who has lived in Turkey for years and is married to a Turkish citizen was also reported to be facing deportation based on undisclosed security claims.
Several incidents pointed to continued pressure on minority identity and cultural expression. Kurdish communities reported police violence linked to Kurdish music, while a football club was fined for a Kurdish-language slogan on its jerseys, even as enrollment in Kurdish elective courses hit a record high. Authorities also banned an Armenian folk group from performing at a local festival. A Jewish business leader reported death threats and an attempted break-in, while a global report said discrimination against Christian, Jewish, Alevi and Yazidi communities continued in Turkey.
Here are some of the most important headlines concerning minority and refugee rights from 2025:
Turkish authorities illegally deported Syrian mother, leaving behind 5 children
Turkish authorities on January 2 deported Fatim el Musa, a Syrian mother of five, leaving her children behind in Turkey. More…
Turkish Jewish business leader faced assassination threats decades after father’s murder
Turkish Jewish business leader İzzet Garih filed a criminal complaint after receiving death threats and facing an attempted break-in at his company’s headquarters, saying he could suffer the same fate as his father, Üzeyir Garih, who was murdered in 2001. More…
Human rights advocates warned Turkey may return Iranian refugees to Iran
Iranian human rights advocates expressed concern that Iranian refugees in Turkey were at risk of being returned to Iran following a shift in asylum policies that transferred refugee oversight from the United Nations to Turkish authorities. More…
Disabled Afghan refugee in Turkey faced life-threatening health crisis after losing protected status
A severely disabled Afghan refugee lost access to critical medical treatment after authorities revoked his protected status. More…
Syrian refugees in Turkey beaten, deprived of basic needs, coerced to sign ‘voluntary’ return papers
Syrian refugees detained in Turkey were allegedly beaten, denied food and medical care and coerced into signing “voluntary” return documents, according to a report published in April that detailed allegations of systemic abuse in Turkish deportation centers. More…
Turkish police reportedly beat and detained a family for listening to Kurdish music
Turkish police reportedly beat and detained a group of family members in Istanbul on July 12 after they were found listening to Kurdish songs, leading to the hospitalization of a pregnant woman. More…
Turkey banned Armenian folk group from performing at festival
Authorities in Turkey’s Tunceli province banned the Armenian folk music ensemble Veradardz from performing at the 23rd Munzur Culture and Nature Festival, citing accusations that the group had previously deviated from the festival’s intended purpose by displaying the Armenian flag. More…
Christian, Jewish, Alevi and Yazidi communities faced ongoing discrimination in Turkey
A November report by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) said religious minorities in Turkey face growing hostility, citing hate speech, attacks on houses of worship and policies favoring the Sunni Muslim majority at the expense of Christians, Jews, Alevis and Yazidis. More…
Amnesty launched urgent action campaign to restore refugee status, healthcare access for Syrian man with HIV in Turkey
Amnesty International launched an urgent action campaign urging Turkish authorities to reinstate the temporary protection status of a Syrian refugee who was stripped of his legal rights after he was diagnosed with HIV, leaving him unable to access vital medical care. More…
Football club fined for Kurdish-language jersey ad
A football club based in the predominantly Kurdish province of Diyarbakır was fined for a Kurdish-language advertising slogan on its jerseys. More…
Guinean doctor in Turkey faced deportation over undisclosed security claims
A Guinean physician who has lived in Turkey for 14 years and is married to a Turkish citizen faced deportation under a national security order, despite having no criminal charges against him and being denied access to the evidence used to justify the decision. More…
Turkey no longer a safe haven for Uyghurs amid residency cancellations and deportation risks, HRW reported
Turkey started restricting the legal stay of Uyghurs and deporting some to third countries despite the risk of eventual return to China, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW). More…
Turkish police allegedly killed Syrian man in raid on wrong address in southern Turkey
A Syrian man identified as Anas Laila was allegedly shot and killed by Turkish police during a raid on the wrong address in the early hours of November 21. More…
New abuse case involving Ukrainian orphan surfaced in Turkey
A Turkish prosecutor opened a new case over the alleged abuse of a Ukrainian orphan, indicating that abuse allegations involving Ukrainian orphans sheltered in Turkey could extend beyond previously known cases. More…
Turkey accused of targeting Uyghur refugees as ties with China improved
Turkish authorities arbitrarily labeled Uyghur refugees as security threats, detained them and deported some to third countries where they face the risk of return to China, a pattern HRW said intensified as Turkey’s ties with Beijing improved. More…
Controversial Turkish mayor admitted imposing illegal measures targeting Syrian refugees
Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan admitted to illegally revoking business licenses and drastically increasing water fees for Syrian refugees living in his city, sparking criticism and prompting an investigation by authorities. More…
Gunman fired on Christian association in İstanbul
A gunman opened fire on an association linked to the Kurtuluş Church in İstanbul’s Çekmeköy district on New Year’s Eve, apparently while shouting remarks reflecting religious intolerance. More…
