The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is once again recommending that Turkey be placed on the U.S. State Department’s “Special Watch List” for serious violations of religious freedom.

According to the Commission, this recommendation reflects recent actions by the European Parliament and related developments at the European Court of Human Rights regarding the treatment of foreign Christians in Turkey.

Commission Chairwoman Vicki Hartzler stated that labeling foreign Protestant Christians as a threat to national security is being used to intimidate the Christian community and restrict collective worship. She also urged the U.S. government to build on the momentum from President Donald Trump’s September meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan to push for concrete improvements in religious freedom in Turkey.

In its statement, the Commission highlighted that laws and policies restricting the religious freedom of minorities remain in place in Turkey. It specifically cited obstacles to the training of Christian clergy within the country, difficulties in registering places of worship for Alevis, Protestants, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the lack of recognition of legal personality and full autonomy for religious communities.

USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmoud welcomed the recent actions by European institutions and called on Washington to address, in its bilateral relations with Ankara, the challenges faced by religious minorities in accessing places of worship and clergy. This includes issues related to legal residency and restrictions on theological institutions, such as the Halki Theological School.

It is worth noting that in its 2025 Annual Report, the Commission had already recommended placing Turkey on this list. Furthermore, on 14 August 2025, USCIRF held a special hearing on the state of religious freedom in the country.