Turkey abuses Interpol to target Erdogan's critics

Turkey has long been abusing international law enforcement mechanisms such as Interpol to pursue citizens across borders and intimidate political refugees abroad.

Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish government, has abused INTERPOL in a number of ways, Stockholm Center for Freedom report said.

The Erdogan government has used the International Notice System, such as Red Notices and diffusions, to target political opponents who have done nothing more than criticize the government.

Similarly, it has also abused INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents Database (SLTD) by filing tens of thousands of notifications for critics and opponents who, in many instances, were not even aware that their passports had been invalidated.

The report sheds light on such abusive practices by providing information on how INTERPOL mechanisms work and the way Turkey misused them in various cases. It ends with policy proposals aimed at preventing future abuse of the system by autocratic regimes to target their opponents.

“The Turkish government must be held responsible for abusing the INTERPOL system to commit human rights violations,” said Dr. Merve R. Kayıkcı, research director at the Stockholm Center for Freedom.

According the report, the Turkish government has also used extrajudicial and illegal methods for the forcible transfer to Turkey of its citizens abroad.

The report discusses the attempts and cases of abduction, rendition and forcible return since the failed coup attempt in Turkey. It examines international legal instruments that can be used by victims, providing details on the judgments of international courts and the decisions of some international organizations.

“Extrajudicial and illegal actions of the Turkish government have violated the detainees’ rights to life, liberty, security of person, fair trial and respect for private and family life, which are protected by several international conventions,” said Dr. Merve R. Kayıkcı,.

In view of increasing attempts by repressive governments to abuse its mechanisms, experts believe that INTERPOL needs to develop new ways to ensure that it operates strictly within the confines of its mandate and does not become an accomplice to transnational repression.