US commission calls for Turkey to be placed on “special watch list” for religious freedoms

The United States Commission connected International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is erstwhile again recommending that Turkey beryllium placed connected the U.S. State Department’s “Special Watch List” for superior violations of religious freedom.

According to the Commission, this proposal reflects caller actions by the European Parliament and related developments astatine the European Court of Human Rights regarding the attraction of overseas Christians successful Turkey.

Commission Chairwoman Vicki Hartzler stated that labeling overseas Protestant Christians arsenic a menace to nationalist information is being utilized to intimidate the Christian assemblage and restrict corporate worship. She besides urged the U.S. authorities to physique connected the momentum from President Donald Trump’s September gathering with Recep Tayyip Erdogan to propulsion for factual improvements successful spiritual state successful Turkey.

In its statement, the Commission highlighted that laws and policies restricting the spiritual state of minorities stay successful spot successful Turkey. It specifically cited obstacles to the grooming of Christian clergy wrong the country, difficulties successful registering places of worship for Alevis, Protestants, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the deficiency of designation of ineligible property and afloat autonomy for spiritual communities.

USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmoud welcomed the caller actions by European institutions and called connected Washington to address, successful its bilateral relations with Ankara, the challenges faced by spiritual minorities successful accessing places of worship and clergy. This includes issues related to ineligible residency and restrictions connected theological institutions, specified arsenic the Halki Theological School.

It is worthy noting that successful its 2025 Annual Report, the Commission had already recommended placing Turkey connected this list. Furthermore, connected 14 August 2025, USCIRF held a peculiar proceeding connected the authorities of spiritual state successful the country.