European parliament condemns Turkey over expulsions and press crackdown
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution denouncing what it described as Turkey’s targeted expulsions of foreign journalists and Christians, calling on Ankara to halt legal proceedings against media professionals and to stop using security codes that label hundreds of Christians as threats to national security.
The motion passed with 502 votes in favor, two against and 59 abstentions. Lawmakers specifically named Iranian independent journalist Kaveh Taheri and Swedish reporter Joakim Medin among those they said Turkish authorities should cease prosecuting.
In the resolution, members of the European Parliament urged Turkey to immediately discontinue the use of administrative security codes known as N-82 and G-87. According to the Parliament, these codes have been applied to at least 300 foreign Christians, effectively branding them as national security risks.
ADF International, a legal advocacy group supporting more than 30 related cases before the European Court of Human Rights, has reported that since 2020 more than 200 foreign Christian workers and their families have been expelled from Turkey under these measures. The organization said at least 35 additional codes were issued between December 2024 and January 2025.
The codes function in practice as entry bans and deportation orders. Those targeted are not granted access to the evidence used against them and face appeal procedures described by ADF International as opaque and restrictive, limiting their ability to challenge the decisions in domestic courts.
The resolution also addressed the situation of detained journalists. Taheri, an Iranian journalist recognized as a refugee by the United Nations, was arrested on January 26 while traveling to an appointment for a visa at the French consulate in Istanbul, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. His lawyer, Salih Efe, told the organization that authorities issued a deportation order on January 28 citing national security grounds but did not present intelligence reports or supporting evidence.
Sara Qudah, regional director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that deporting Taheri to Iran could expose him to serious danger.
Medin, who contributes to the Swedish daily Dagens ETC, was detained in March 2025 while traveling to cover protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. He faces terrorism related charges that could result in a prison sentence exceeding 20 years. Swedish Left Party lawmaker Jonas Sjöstedt, who raised the case in the European Parliament, said it was unacceptable for Turkey to obstruct journalists both inside and outside the country from carrying out their work.
Lawmakers endorsed the European Commission’s 2025 assessment on Turkey, which found that media freedom and pluralism remain severely constrained. The Parliament called on the Commission to systematically raise these concerns in its dialogue with Ankara and to consider targeted measures if alleged violations continue.
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