Levent Kenez/Stockholm
The German government’s latest report on global religious freedom covering the 2020-2022 period sheds light on human rights violations of non-Sunni groups and minorities in Turkey. The report also addresses the persecution faced by the Gülen movement, a group critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the report, the Turkish state does not hesitate to kidnap Gülenists from abroad. The report will be discussed in the Federal Parliament’s Human Rights Commission on April 24.
The report asserts that since a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, the Turkish government has intensified its crackdown on individuals associated with the Gülen movement, which it labels as a terrorist organization.
According to the report, the treatment of alleged supporters of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish cleric who inspired the movement, differs significantly when compared to other Muslim religious groups. The Gülen movement has been branded as a terrorist organization by Turkish authorities, a designation not universally recognized, the report reads.
German government report’s chapter on Turkey:
The report mentions that hundreds of thousands have faced arrest, conviction, dismissal from positions, travel bans and loss of benefits. The government’s persecution explicitly targets not only those implicated in the coup attempt but also all individuals linked to the preacher. The report also highlights Turkish actions against Gülen supporters and affiliated institutions abroad, which have been well documented. According to the report, in certain instances, the Turkish state has even resorted to abducting prominent Gülenists from foreign countries. Nongovernmental organizations, the report mentions, have reported instances of abuse and torture suffered by those affected.
It has previously been reflected in international reports that dissidents abroad have been illegally abducted by the Turkish Intelligence Organization (MİT) and diplomats coordinated by the Erdogan government
In 2020 UN experts Luciano Hazan, chair of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; Felipe González Morales, special rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants; Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, special rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism; and Nils Melzer, special rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment jointly addressed the Turkish government regarding their apprehensions about the “systematic practice of state-sponsored extraterritorial abductions and forcible return of Turkish nationals from various countries to Turkey.”
Likewise, during its 87th session from April 27 to May 1, 2020, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined that the incarceration of three individuals with connections to the Hizmet/Gülen movement was arbitrary, lacked legal justification and contravened the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The group emphasized that those allegedly affiliated with the movement are being targeted based on their political or other beliefs, constituting a prohibited discriminatory basis.
The UN rapporteurs emphasized in their correspondence that Turkey purportedly entered into bilateral security cooperation agreements with multiple nations for the deportation or abduction of Turkish citizens and inquired about the compatibility of these agreements with the country’s international human rights commitments. They also sought clarification on the involvement of Turkey’s MIT and other entities in these abduction operations. “It is reported that, in collaboration with other nations, the Turkish Government forcibly transported over 100 Turkish nationals to Turkey, among whom 40 individuals have disappeared under enforced circumstances, often taken from the streets or their residences worldwide, including with their children,” the letter stated.
In June 2023 a report drafted by British lawmaker Christopher Chope for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) highlighted the role of MİT in abducting critics from other countries in clear violation of international and national laws.
The report, while acknowledging the previous efforts of Council of Europe (CoE) bodies, was the first to comprehensively address transnational repression and to discuss legal guidance. It states that “transnational repression is a global phenomenon attacking the foundations of democratic societies and the rule of law, and that strengthened and more coordinated action to prevent and fight it is needed.”
PACE called on countries that have reportedly engaged in transnational repression to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that victims receive reparations. In order to better prevent and fight transnational repression, it recommended that all states develop legal guidance for government agencies, impose targeted sanctions and expel diplomats who have been directly involved in incidents of transnational repression.
On October 26, 2023 the United Kingdom Home Office issued an updated Country Policy and Information Note concerning the Gülen movement in Turkey, revealing extensive human rights violations endured by its members since the July 2016 coup attempt.
”Following the coup attempt, the government initiated a crackdown on individuals and organizations associated with the Gülen movement. This resulted in hundreds of thousands of arrests and detentions, with over 117,000 convictions under anti-terrorism laws, the dismissal of more than 130,000 public servants, the revocation of over 230,000 passports, the closure of businesses and institutions followed by asset seizures, and the pursuit of Turkish nationals residing abroad,” the report stated. It highlighted that detentions had increased in recent years, including in 2023, due to the arrest of individuals aiding families of people jailed for alleged Gülen ties and those accused of handling financial aid from Gülen supporters abroad.
Furthermore, the report referenced a European Commission publication documenting a rise in “credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment in detention centers and prisons,” along with a US Department of State report indicating a higher risk of mistreatment and potential torture for individuals with alleged Gülen movement connections while in custody.
The Home Office also flagged legal issues concerning the trials of alleged Gülen affiliates, such as retroactive criminalization of previous legal activities and the questionable nature of evidence used against them.
The report also addressed Turkey’s campaign of transnational repression, noting that it has led to the extradition of over 100 citizens from numerous countries.
On November 25, 2022, then-vice president Fuat Oktay stated during a committee meeting in parliament that MİT ensured the extradition of more than 100 Gülen members from various countries to Turkey. However, it is widely recognized that what Oktay called “extradition” is, in fact, synonymous with kidnapping. These countries mainly include some in Africa and others in Central Asia.
