The annual report on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) revealed that among the religious violations cited are the following:

In 2018, the state of religious freedom in Turkey remained deeply troubling, raising serious concerns that the country’s trajectory will lead to the further deterioration of conditions in the year ahead.  The lack of any meaningful progress on the part of the Turkish government to address longstanding religious freedom issues was continued cause for concern.  Many serious limitations on the freedom of religion or belief continued, threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority religious communities in the country; in addition, increased demonization and a smear campaign by government entities and pro-government media contributed to a growing climate of fear among religious minority communities.

The Turkish government interferes in the internal affairs of both Greek and Armenian communities by restricting the ordination of clergy to Turkish citizenship.  Since the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey was incapacitated in 2010, the Turkish government has not allowed the Armenian community to elect a new Patriarch.

Alevis constitute the largest religious minority in Turkey [estimated 10 to 25 million].  However, the government has long classified Alevis as Muslim and subsequently failed to recognize them as a religious community distinct from majority Sunni Muslims despite a February 2015 ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights.

There is widespread anti-Semitism in the pro-government print and social media.  According to the Hrant Dink Foundation, there were 427 instances of anti-Jewish hate speech from January to April 2018.  Turkish politicians also frequently made anti-Semitic comments.

Excerpted from Harut Sassounian (May 16, 2019).  U.S. Federal Agency: Turkey Among Most Egregious Violators of Religious Freedom.  California Courier.