Turkish Court Scraps Ministry’s Authority to Cancel Passports

Photo Illustration: Pixabay/Joshua Woroniecki

The country's top court said that passport restrictions can only be imposed by judges' decisions, and Interior Ministry decisions on passports "violated the right of travel".

"The existing rules [at the Interior Ministry] have restricted freedom to go abroad in violation of the constitution," the court said.

Passport restrictions and cancellations have become a widely used tool of the Turkish government against critical groups since the failed coup attempt in 2016.

According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 250,000 passports were cancelled as part of government measures to halt coup plotters and other terrorist groups.

It is estimated that, after including family members, more than half-a-million people's right to travel abroad was restricted.

The restrictions have been eased by the ministry gradually, however. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in May 2019 that 75,000 to 80,000 passport restrictions remained in force.

Since the failed coup attempt, more than 125,000 people including army officers, police, academics, members of judiciary and doctors have been dismissed from public offices.

As part of the government crackdown, more than half-a-million people were investigated or jailed and often found their passports cancelled.

In addition, the Interior Ministry either did not remove the restrictions on passports or did not issue new passports to some people, despite court rulings.

The Constitutional Court decision came after it rejected the objections of the Interior Ministry. The ministry now has one year to create new regulations and rules on the issue.