Passport Bans in Turkey: How Political Dissidents Are Trapped Inside the Country

For many people in Turkey after 2016, repression did not begin with imprisonment.

It began with;

a quiet notification,
a denied passport application,
a border gate that would not open,

This article explains how passport bans in Turkey work, who they affect, and why travel restrictions have become one of the most powerful and least visible tools of political control.

Passport Bans Are Not Rare. They Are Systemic.

Since the failed coup attempt in July 2016, passport bans have been imposed on a massive scale.

According to case documentation compiled by Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST), passport cancellations and travel  bans have affected tens of thousands of individuals, many of whom were never convicted of a crime.

In numerous cases, people learn they were banned from leaving Turkey only when they attempt to travel for work, education, medical care, or safety.

The ban is  already there.

Who Is Affected by Passport Bans in Turkey?

Passport bans have not been limited to one group.

AST documentation shows they have been imposed on:

• public servants dismissed by the KHK
• journalists and media professionals 
• human rights defenders and activists
• academics and students
• family members of targeted individuals

In many cases, spouses and children are also denied passports, despite having no allegations against them.

What emerges is not a security measure, but collective punisment .

How Travel  Bans Work in Practice

Travel  bans in Turkey often operate without transparency.

Individuals may face:

• passport cancellation without written explanation
• travel bans issued during investigations that never lead to trial
• travel restrictions imposed automatically through administrative databases
• delays lasting years, with no clear end date

Crucially, many bans are preventive, not punitive. They are imposed before guilt is established  and often remain even after acquittal.

Families Separated Without a Court Order

One of the most severe consequences of passport bans is family separation.

AST case files document families where:

• one parent escapes persecution while the other is trapped
• children are unable to reunite with parents abroad
• entire families are confined inside Turkey due to one administrative decision

These separations often last years, with no judicial review and no effective remedy.

For children, this becomes a defining experience of childhood.

Why Passport Bans Matter Under International Law

Under international human rights law, freedom of movement is a protected right.

While states may impose travel restrictions in limited circumstances, such restrictions must be:

• lawful
• proportionate
• subject to judicial oversight

In Turkey’s post-2016 context, passport bans frequently fail these tests because they are:

• indefinite
• administrative rather than judicial
• applied collectively
• maintained without individualized reasoning

This places Turkey’s travel  bans in direct tension with international human rights standards.

Life Under a Travel Ban

Being unable to leave a country is not a neutral condition.

AST testimonies describe people unable to attend funerals of close relatives abroad, access specialized medical treatment, accept academic or professional opportunities, seek asylum despite credible fear.

Many describe living in constant uncertainty, knowing they are confined but never formally sentenced.

Why Passport Bans Persist Even After Acquittal

One of the most striking features of passport bans in Turkey is their persistence.

AST has documented cases where criminal charges were dropped, courts issued acquittals, investigations were closed yet passport bans remained in place.

This disconnect reinforces a core reality: passport bans function independently of criminal law.

They are administrative tools of control, not outcomes of judicial process.

Why These Bans Are So Difficult to Challenge

Challenging a passport ban is often legally exhausting and practically ineffective. Applicants face unclear administrative responsibility, lengthy court proceedings, contradictory rulings and no immediate enforcement of favorable decisions.For many, the legal process outlasts the ban itself or becomes meaningless while life opportunities are lost.

Why Silenced Turkey Documents Travel Bans

Silenced Turkey does not treat passport bans as isolated inconveniences.

Through ongoing archiving work, legal analysis, and anonymized testimonies, AST documents how travel bans operate as a form of civil confinement.

This documentation is essential for:

• Asylum claims
• Family reunification cases
• International advocacy
• Future accountability mechanisms

 Facts matter.
Patterns matter.
Consistency matters.

Conclusion

Passport bans in Turkey are not about border control. They are about control over lives.

They trap people inside a country without trial.
They separate families without verdicts.
They turn freedom of movement into a privilege granted by silence.

Understanding passport bans in Turkey is essential to understanding how repression functions when prisons are no longer enough.

Silenced Turkey works to ensure that confinement without walls is fully documented and never normalized.