Turkey’s Transnational Repression: 2024 in Review

Turkey’s efforts at transnational repression against critics abroad did not wind down in 2024. The Turkish government continued to relentlessly pursue anyone with alleged links with the Gülen movement, a worldwide civic initiative inspired by the ideas of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, who passed away in exile in October.

Since a coup attempt in July 2016, Turkey’s repression of political dissidents has expanded into a global phenomenon, marked by systematic efforts to silence critics and dissidents overseas. The administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has employed a range of coercive tactics, including illegal renditions, spying, diplomatic pressure and the misuse of international legal mechanisms, including INTERPOL.

A key pillar of this strategy is the abduction and forced repatriation of dissidents, particularly those affiliated with the Gülen movement. As of 2024 the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has orchestrated over 118 renditions since 2016, frequently bypassing legal norms with the cooperation of host governments.

President Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the movement since the corruption investigations of December 17-25, 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and his inner circle.

Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began to target its members. He locked up thousands, including many prosecutors, judges and police officers involved in the probes.

One of the most alarming cases this year involved the abduction of UN-protected Turkish nationals in Kenya, sparking international condemnation from human rights organizations.

In January Enes Kanter Freedom, an activist and former NBA player, shed further light on Turkey’s transnational repression tactics in testimony before a US congressional subcommittee. He detailed cases of abduction, financial harassment abroad and personal experiences of persecution, including the imprisonment of his father and a $500,000 bounty on his head.

In February Human Rights Watch published a global report on transnational repression and said MIT collaborated with authorities in countries with weak rule of law frameworks for the forced return of dissidents.

In April the US State Department published its annual human rights report on Turkey, which included the Turkish government’s transnational repression tactics to suppress its critics living overseas. “The government engaged in a worldwide effort to apprehend suspected members of the Gulen movement,” the report said. “There were credible reports the government exerted bilateral pressure on other countries to take adverse action against specific individuals, at times without due process.”

In December an article by The Washington Post detailed how Turkey adopted post-9/11 US counterterrorism tactics to target exiles, particularly members of the Gülen movement.

Beyond forced renditions, Turkey has leveraged diplomatic and economic pressure to secure the transfer of Gülen-linked schools to Turkey’s state-run Maarif Foundation, facilitating the transfer of schools in Kyrgyzstan and Burkina Faso in 2024. Turkey has seized control of 232 Gülen-affiliated institutions across 21 countries since 2016.

Espionage and surveillance remain central to Ankara’s repression tactics. Turkish intelligence operatives have been reported monitoring protests and gatherings in Western countries, including France, Germany and the United States. Leaked documents reveal that Turkish embassies continue to serve as intelligence-gathering hubs, tracking activists and journalists critical of Erdoğan’s policies.

Below is a roundup of key developments from 2024 concerning Turkey’s efforts at transnational repression.

Abduction, rendition and forcible return of Erdoğan critics

Kenya deported UN-protected Turkish refugees linked to Gülen movement

The Kenyan Foreign Ministry confirmed the deportation of four Turks on October 21 after they were kidnapped by unidentified individuals in Nairobi three days earlier.

They were asylum-seekers registered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who were protected from forcible return to Turkey under international law. More..

UN-protected refugee shared harrowing tale of abduction

Saadet Taşçı, who was kidnapped on October 18 in Nairobi, recounted her harrowing experience in a video message. Taşçı said she and her husband were abducted from the courtyard of a government office where they had gone to get driver’s licenses. According to her account, four men in ski masks armed with AK47s forced them into a large black SUV. After driving for about an hour, the kidnappers separated the couple and released her. More..

UN secretary-general vowed ‘active advocacy’ for refugees facing refoulement after Turks deported from Kenya

UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) commitment to advocating against the forced return of refugees, in comments concerning Turkish nationals deported by Kenya, guaranteeing “active advocacy.” More..

20 rights groups condemned forced return of UN-protected Turkish nationals

An alliance of 20 human rights, legal advocacy and social justice organizations condemned the Kenyan government after it admitted that it deported four UN-protected Turkish nationals without due process, in a statement published by Amnesty International Kenya. More..

Kenya’s forcible return of UN-protected Turkish refugees followed armed drone sale

Kenya’s forcible return to Turkey of four UN-protected refugees came two months after the purchase of TB2 Armed UAVs produced by Baykar Makina, a Turkish company led by President Erdoğan’s son-in-law. More..

Academic critical of Erdoğan feared arrest, deportation to Turkey during Malaysia visit

Dr. Ahmet T. Kuru, a Turkish-American academic and a critic of Turkish President Erdoğan, said he was harassed by policemen in Kuala Lumpur and would have been arrested and deported to Turkey had he not reached out to his friends in the Malaysian government. More..

Erdoğan’s long arm and international reaction against his global witch-hunt

Turkish gov’t has seized 232 Gülen-linked schools in 21 countries since coup attempt

A total of 232 schools run by the faith-based Gülen movement across 21 countries have been taken over by the Turkish government since a coup attempt in July 2016. The schools were transferred to Turkey’s state-run Maarif Foundation. More..

Kyrgyzstan transferred management of Gülen-linked Sapat schools to Turkey

The government of Kyrgyzstan transferred the management of the Sapat schools, affiliated with the Gülen movement, to Turkey’s state-run Maarif Foundation.

The decision followed years of pressure from Ankara. Established in 1992, the Sapat network of 20 schools, serving over 11,000 students across the country, was recognized as a leading educational institution in Kyrgyzstan. More..

INTERPOL does not name system abusers in order to preserve int’l police cooperation: secretary-general

Jürgen Stock, the secretary-general of INTERPOL, said in a “60 Minutes” interview on CBS News that while the organization is aware of abuses of its systems, including prominent Red Notice alerts, it chooses not to “name and shame” member countries, which explains the organization’s inaction on countries such as Russia, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. More..

Turkey’s foreign minister urged North Macedonia to join fight against Gülen movement

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged North Macedonia’s new government to support Ankara’s efforts against the Gülen movement during a visit to Skopje. Fidan expressed optimism that the new administration would address Turkey’s concerns. The minister did not specify what actions he expected from the government, but his remarks seemed intended to test the new administration’s commitment to Turkey’s longstanding extradition requests. More..

Gülen-linked school in Burkina Faso handed over to Turkish Maarif Foundation

Turkey’s state-run Maarif Foundation took over schools in Burkina Faso affiliated with the Gülen movement. The Horizon International School complex in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, was opened in 2003 and has been run by Turkish businessmen affiliated with the movement since then. The schools were expropriated by a cabinet decision and were handed over to the foundation. More..

Former NBA player said NYC mayor withdrew support from him on Turkey’s orders

Former NBA player and activist Enes Kanter Freedom said New York City Mayor Eric Adams withdrew his support for him upon orders from the Turkish government due to Freedom’s ties to the faith-based Gülen movement. More..

Belgium convicted Turkish hit team in absentia for foiled assassination attempt

A Belgian court convicted in absentia two members of a Turkish hit team who authorities said were preparing for attacks on Remzi Kartal, co-chair of the People’s Congress of Kurdistan (Kongra-Gel), and Zübeyir Aydar, a member of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in 2017. More..

Turkish authorities continued to engage in transnational repression, HRW report said

Turkish authorities have continued the practice of organizing the abduction and rendition to Turkey of individuals with alleged links to the Gülen movement, Human Rights Watch said in a February report. More..

Exiled journalist testified on Turkey’s transnational repression at US Congress

Abdülhamit Bilici, the former editor-in-chief of the now-closed Zaman daily, gave testimony on the Turkish government’s transnational repression at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. More..

Spying on dissidents abroad

Turkish intelligence agency MIT conducted covert surveillance at US funeral to identify Erdogan critics

The Turkish intelligence agency covertly conducted surveillance on US soil to identify individuals, including many American citizens, critical of President Erdoğan’s government, according to several official communiqués. More..

Turkish intelligence conducted covert surveillance of dissidents in Strasbourg, documents revealed

Classified documents revealed that Turkish intelligence conducted covert surveillance of dissidents during a peaceful protest in Strasbourg on October 2, 2024. Operatives from MİT monitored approximately 2,000 protesters outside the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). More..

Turkey’s intel service spied on Gülen followers, PKK supporters in Germany: report

Followers of the faith-based Gülen movement and supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were the primary targets of Turkish intelligence agents in Germany, according to a report from the German interior ministry. More..

Deportation of foreign nationals despite risk of mistreatment

Turkish authorities forcibly deported 300 Eritreans despite high risk of human rights violations: UN special rapporteurs

The Turkish government forcibly deported 300 Eritrean migrants to their home country, where they face the serious risk of human rights violations, according to official documents published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In a joint letter dated October 16, 2024, three UN special rapporteurs asked the Turkish government about the “alleged arbitrary detention and forcible return” of Eritrean migrants and the imminent risk of refoulement (forcible return) of an additional group of approximately 50 Eritreans. More..

Turkey to deport 2 Kurdish journalists back to Iran, putting their lives at risk

Two Kurdish journalists from Iranian Kurdistan are facing deportation from Turkey to Iran, where they fear for their lives. Rashad Mohammadi and Fehmide Hoseini have been detained in a repatriation center in western Kırklareli province’s Pehlivanköy district since allegedly entering Turkey illegally. More..

Attacks and pressure on critics and journalists living abroad

Turkish Embassy spied on journalists in Sweden, leaked government document revealed

Turkish intelligence services, operating from the embassy in Stockholm, spied on journalists in Sweden, monitoring their activities and relaying information back to headquarters in Ankara, based on an internal government communiqué obtained by Nordic Monitor. More.. 

Exiled Turkish journalist harassed by Turkish Embassy, security officials at Johannesburg event

A Turkish journalist who is currently living in exile in South Africa was subjected to harassment and physical intervention by the Turkish Embassy and security officials while he was covering an event on Palestine in the South African city of Johannesburg on May 10. More..

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