Türkiye has firmly rejected allegations that it deported foreign nationals belonging to Christian communities, calling the claims baseless and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting the country.
In a statement Wednesday, the Directorate of Communications’ Counter-Disinformation Center said the reports circulating in some international outlets falsely suggest that Türkiye expelled certain Christian foreigners on national security grounds.
“The allegations that Türkiye deported foreign nationals from some Christian communities, considering them a ‘national security threat,’ are unfounded,” the center said on its NSosyal account, stressing that the narrative aims to distort Türkiye’s international image.
The statement underlined that Türkiye, as the successor of a civilization built on coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect, guarantees freedom of religion and conscience for all under its Constitution.
“The Republic of Türkiye has never allowed any of its citizens to be discriminated against because of their beliefs or forms of worship,” the center said. “Respect for faith and pluralism are indispensable elements of our democratic order.”
Recalling that mosques, churches and synagogues have coexisted peacefully across Anatolia for centuries, the center noted that Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities continue to contribute to a shared cultural heritage. The institution also emphasized ongoing state efforts to restore and reopen historical places of worship belonging to various faiths, including churches and monasteries.
“The property rights of community foundations are protected, and legal processes are conducted transparently,” the statement said. It added that, like any sovereign nation, Türkiye reserves the right to take administrative measures concerning foreign nationals in cases such as visa violations or public order issues, but “these decisions are never based on religious identity or affiliation.”
Rejecting what it called attempts to undermine Türkiye’s tradition of religious freedom, the center reaffirmed that the country “will continue to serve as an example where different faiths coexist peacefully, upholding its centuries-old legacy of tolerance and social harmony.”
Türkiye is home to around 180,000 Christians and about 20,000 Jews, with 435 churches, monasteries and synagogues across the country serving these communities.
