Ocean County Leader

Ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Washington next week, 142 House lawmakers led by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) urged President Biden to press Turkey’s President to end his aggressive transnational repression campaign and persecution of opposition groups.

“We are writing to bring to your attention the deeply concerning human rights situation in Turkey, particularly the transnational repression campaign orchestrated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government against its critics abroad,” the lawmakers wrote in a bipartisan letter to Biden today.

“Additionally, we highlight the alarming instances of Interpol abuses by Turkey, including the forcible transfer of more than 100 Turkish nationals since the 2016 coup, with reports of torture, denial of legal rights, and coerced confessions,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The Erdogan government has sought to silence critics in the United States like Enes Kanter Freedom, an NBA player and human rights advocate, by going after his family in Turkey and placing an Interpol red notice and bounty on him and on many others,” the lawmakers added. “This further underscores the need for urgent intervention to address Turkey's non-compliance with international law and its systematic human rights abuses.”

“The State Department’s 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Turkey highlight the government’s coordination with other authoritarian states in forcibly transferring individuals and engaging in abductions and renditions,” the letter continued. “The victims face torture, denial of legal rights, and coerced confessions before being deported to Turkey. These acts are publicly promoted and glorified by government-led media.”

“We urge you, President Biden, to prioritize human rights and press the Turkish government to cease its transnational repression campaign, unconditionally release political prisoners, and restore the rule of law,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your intervention is crucial to upholding the values of democracy and human rights on the global stage.”