HRC60: Oral statement during adoption of UPR outcomes on Türkiye

Item 6: UPR Adoption, Türkiye

Speaker: Ellis Heasley

Thank you Mr President,

CSW welcomes Türkiye’s participation in the UPR process.

However, we regret the government merely noted Greece’s recommendation for it to ‘ensure freedom of religion, including by granting the Ecumenical Patriarchate legal personality, reopening the Halki Seminary and allowing non-Muslim communities to elect their leadership and manage their foundations.’

Türkiye’s failure to honour promises to reopen the Halki Seminary implies continuing acquiescence with Islamist and nationalist voices that oppose this reopening.

Said acquiescence has coincided with a significant deterioration in the situation of freedom of religion or belief. Alevi Muslims, Bahai’s and Christians, particularly those who have converted from Islam – including refugees and asylum seekers – face daily societal hostilities.

Hate speech and occasional hate crimes targeting religious minorities continue, including attacks on places of worship and even murder in extreme cases, with perpetrators generally enjoying impunity.

CSW calls on Türkiye to respect, protect and fulfil the provisions for freedom of religion or belief articulated in its national constitution for all religious communities.

Freedom of expression is also under threat. While tentatively welcoming Türkiye’s decision to accept a number of recommendations to advance freedom of expression, we regret its decision to only note recommendations to release individuals imprisoned for exercising freedom of opinion and expression.

On 14 June 2024 Diamond Tema, an agnostic and secularist content creator, relocated to Albania after receiving death threats for his part in a YouTube debate about shari’a law, and warnings he would be arrested if he remained.

During the discussion, Tema had called the Prophet Mohammed’s marriage and consummation of the marriage to his final wife, Aisha, immoral and incompatible with human rights.

He had also criticised the ruling AK Party, the Republican People’s Party, Good Party, and other opposition parties for allegedly Islamist leanings.

On 18 June 2024 an arrest warrant was issued for Tema for violating Article 216 of the Turkish Criminal Code, which criminalises publicly degrading ‘the religious values of a section of the public’.

CSW calls on the government of Türkiye to dismiss this charge, and to review Article 216 and other provisions in the criminal code which foster discrimination against minorities and violations of the right to freedom of expression, aligning them with international standards.

Thank you.