Turkish Asylum Seekers Archives

Keyword: Turkish Asylum Seekers

Growing number of Turkish citizens apply for asylum in Germany

Since the attempted coup in 2016, mostly journalists, academics, members of the opposition parties and (alleged) supporters of the Gülen movement, have been persecuted and their applications for asylum are most frequently granted.

A Chat with Vonya Womack, a Human Rights Activist and Expert on Turkey and Its [Gulen Follower] Refugees

Following a recent coup attempt, more than 100,000 people were arrested and dismissed from their jobs in the Republic of Turkey. Turkey is also the world’s largest jailer of journalists; 300+ are now behind bars. Our guest is an expert on these and related matters — Vonya Womack

Turks threatened over alleged links to the Gülen movement find a safe haven in Greece

When thousands of Turkish citizens lost their jobs or were jailed over suspected links to the Islamist Gülen movement, they chose self-exile to escape persecution.

Switzerland: Number of Turkish asylum-seekers more than doubles

The SEM says many Turkish asylum-seekers are very well documented for their asylum procedures and submit numerous documents, which is why Switzerland grants asylum to an above-average number of Turkish nationals.

Canada grants asylum to eight Gulenists under UN protection in Mongolia

Eight Turkish citizens whose passports were revoked by the Turkish government travelled to Canada on August 11 just after Canada decided to grant asylum. An officer from United Nations also escorted the group for the safe exit from Mongolia and security during the journey.

As Turks flee oppression, Ottawa urged to speak out on human rights issues

Asylum seekers are still fleeing Turkey for Canada and other western countries, Kaplan said. “There’s at least 14 families (in my neighbourhood in Ottawa). I mean ladies (with kids). All their husbands have been arrested (in Turkey,)” he said. The women are not comfortable speaking out publicly for fear it could imperil their husbands behind bars in Turkey, he added.

Brazil’s top court denies extradition of [Gulen-linked] Erdogan opponent

Brazil’s chief prosecutor’s office argued before the court against the extradition of Sipahi, who has lived in Brazil for 12 years, saying it had no evidence of terrorist acts committed by Hizmet.

Bosnia rejects Turkey’s extradition request for journalist over Gülen links

The Justice Ministry of Bosnia and Herzegovina has put an end to Turkey’s persistent efforts to have a journalist living exile extradited to Turkey on trumped-up terrorism charges, setting a strong precedent for other Turkish citizens resident in Bosnia who are being harassed and threatened with prosecution in Turkey.

We must have more empathy for people fleeing for their lives around the world

No individual’s pain is to be underestimated. Thousands of families are being forced to leave their homeland by violence, terror, or fear of political prosecution. I would like to particularly talk about people of Turkey, who has been forced to leave their country since the Turkish Government ordered a massive witch hunt on members of the Hizmet (Gulen) movement after the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

Brazilian Intellectuals and Artists Defend Turk against Demands for Extradition to Turkey

A group of Brazilian intellectuals and artists wrote a public letter defending the Turkish naturalized Brazilian Ali Sipahi, who has been imprisoned since the Turkish government, led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, requested to extradite him.

Gülenist refugees from Turkey start over in U.S.

Scholars and academics may quibble about how to classify Fethullah Gülen, but pretty much all reasonable watchers of international politics agree that Erdoğan is power hungry, paranoid and increasingly autocratic.

Turks Fleeing Persecution Find Haven in South Africa

Gulenist businessman Nevi Gozur says he has been denounced as a terrorist for the charity work his family does with Hizmet in exile. “They say even my wife is a terrorist, for giving food to the poor, but we won’t renounce living according to our values,” he said.

Group of activists walking across Europe raises 40,000 euros for Turkish refugees in Greece

A group of activists from the UK raised 40,000 euros for needy Turkish nationals who have landed in Greece as refugees in the face of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s post-coup witch-hunt.

Every second a Turkish asylum seeker heads to Germany

About 50 percent of all people leaving Turkey because they feel politically persecuted seek shelter in Germany. In 2018, there were more than 10,000 asylum applications from Turks in Germany. About two-fifths of applicants were issued some form of protection.