Ankara, March 16 (NationPress) The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the Trump administration to place Turkey on the Special Watch List (SWL) due to its involvement in or tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom as outlined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

In its annual assessment, the USCIRF—an independent advisory body to the US government that scrutinizes and reports on religious liberty overseas—recommended that Washington consider linking future US security aid and trade agreements to tangible improvements in religious freedoms within Turkey.

The report highlighted that Turkey's government has systematically engaged in severe violations of religious freedom in 2025, mirroring trends from the previous year.

Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration, there has been a noticeable escalation in a multi-year initiative that claims to address national security concerns, which has led to the revocation of legal residency for at least 375 foreign Christian clergy and their families, among other religious workers.

The report indicated, "In the context of a widespread government crackdown on political dissent favoring opposition figures, authorities have also systematically infringed on religious freedoms by penalizing secular viewpoints in state institutions and enforcing Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, effectively treating it as a blasphemy law. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence dismissed five new lieutenants and their three superior officers for opting for a secular oath during their swearing-in ceremony. Additionally, the government has monitored online activities for perceived slights against Islam and prosecuted those expressing religious dissent," as detailed in the report.

The USCIRF has urged the US Congress to conduct hearings regarding religious freedom in Turkey and to send delegations to address specific concerns, including the repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in public education, the unjust denial of re-entry for US clergy on spurious security grounds, and the precarious situation for refugees in Turkey who face potential expulsion back to their home countries where they may encounter religious persecution.

Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church are still waiting for results from prolonged negotiations with the Turkish government regarding the reopening of the Halki School, which was closed 54 years ago due to government policies. Meanwhile, Eastern Orthodox Christians, along with their Protestant counterparts, remain ineligible for domestic theological training, often resorting to seminary programs abroad, as stated in the annual USCIRF report.

According to the report, Turkey classifies 99.8% of its nearly 85 million residents as Muslim, including an estimated 10–25 million Alevis, many of whom do not identify as Muslim. A tiny minority consists of Ja’fari Shia Muslims, and the government recognizes less than one percent of the population as non-Muslim, which includes groups such as Greek and Syriac Orthodox Christians, Roman and Chaldean Catholics, Armenian Apostolic and Protestant Christians, Bahais, Jews, Yazidis, and others.

While Turkey's unique legacy of political secularism has been a foundational principle of its 102-year-old republic, this is reflected in the constitution's emphasis on the secular character of the state and its recognition of freedom of religion and conscience. However, demographic and political shifts have led to increased state-sponsored and societal marginalization of non-Sunni Muslims, as indicated in the USCIRF report.