Expelled for evangelism

David Byle lived in Turkey for 19 years. He put down roots there, raised his children there, and made close friendships. Then officials of the Turkish government moved to expel David from the country that had become his home. Their reason: David Byle is a Christian who publicly shares his faith.

The government’s decision turned out to be only the beginning of David’s struggle for his religious freedom—a freedom explicitly protected by the Turkish constitution, despite the government’s move to ignore that. David’s struggle has stretched over years and courts in various countries, and now at last has taken him to the highest court in Europe, where he is standing for his right—a right shared by all Turkish people—to live and work in accordance with his deeply held beliefs.

When David first moved to Istanbul, he shared the gospel as a street evangelist. Though it soon became clear that Turkish officials disapproved of his preaching, he was able to carry on.

“When we went out in the streets and started preaching, we would always get crowds of people who would stop and listen,” David says. “There certainly are people in the government who may not like us being in Turkey, but we know for sure there’s a lot of people who would love to have us there.” He and his family soon decided to stay in Turkey long-term.

Turkey identifies itself as a secular democracy, and its constitution explicitly protects the right to religious freedom. But officials have long tried to curtail that freedom. In 2007, Byles felt the pressure increase. David noticed growing hostility as the police became more skeptical of public displays of Christianity. Then he began to experience these harassments himself.

For the past 10 years, Turkey has consistently appeared on the Pew Research Center’s list of nations with “very high” restrictions on religious liberty. Christian pastors face hostility and discrimination. Their families are targeted and harassed by police. And Christians who evangelize openly—like David—are caught right in the crosshairs. Turkish officials will do whatever it takes, including violating their own constitution, to drive Christians out of the public square.

David discovered this in 2016 with the deportation decision to expel him from Turkey, which he knew violated the nation’s own laws, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights (which Turkey has ratified). He challenged the decision. He also secured an injunction, meaning that he would be allowed to stay in Turkey until the court ruled on his case. But in October 2018, just one day after Turkey released the American pastor Andrew Brunson from prison, the Turkish government gave David 15 days to leave the country or face arrest himself.

Around the world, Christians are the most persecuted religious group, and in many regions threats are on the rise. With the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan, Christians in the region are in immediate danger of death. In the context of the global rise in religious persecution, Turkey’s decision to ignore and undermine human rights is deeply disturbing. Since 2019, dozens of foreign nationals have been told to leave or prohibited from re-entering Turkey—many of them pastors or members of a Christian community.

When David attempted to re-enter Turkey after being forced to leave, he found he’d been permanently banned. The government offered no explanation beyond a claim in court that his evangelization presented a threat to public order. David’s missionary work is legal under the European Convention on Human Rights and under Turkish national law, but the government continues to ignore that reality.

David now lives in Germany, having left Turkey once it became clear that he couldn’t return. He continues to pursue justice. Earlier this year, ADF International submitted an application on David’s behalf before Europe’s top court. He is awaiting the court’s decision.

The decision of the court is important because no one should be discriminated against because of their faith. Turkey is attempting to stifle the spread of Christianity through open hostility towards preachers like David and other foreign Christians. It is a blatant attack on religious freedom.

When it ratified the European Convention on Human Rights, Turkey agreed to respect the basic human rights of all people, including the right of individuals to freely share and express their faith. Now, not only is Turkey refusing to abide by that agreement, but it is also using immigration laws to punish people for their beliefs—a serious human rights violation.

David’s stand for his religious freedom is a brave stand for the rights of all Christians in Turkey—all of whom will suffer if officials are allowed to target and harass Christians solely on the basis of their beliefs. The European Court of Human Rights has an opportunity to give a spine to its claims about religious freedom, and for the sake of Christians everywhere, it should make the most of that opportunity.