Turkey’s ongoing pursuit of the Gülen movement continues to influence its diplomatic ambitions, with recent steps in North Macedonia potentially compromising regional relations. Recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan travelled to Skopje to meet with the VMRO-DPMNE party’s new right-wing government in North Macedonia and argued for a tougher stance against alleged Gülen supporters there. This proposal illustrates Turkey’s ongoing efforts to stifle the movement abroad while also risking relationships with key international partners.
In 2021, Turkey presented North Macedonia with a list of 86 people, asking for the extradition of 20 alleged Gülenists. Despite Ankara’s allegations, none of these extraditions have taken place. The previous government’s reluctance in North Macedonia to address these requests reflects a broader reluctance among various nations to engage with Turkey on politically sensitive extraditions, particularly in light of significant concerns about human rights violations and the lack of judicial impartiality in Turkey’s handling of Gülen supporters. Fidan’s call to action appears to be meant to assess the prospective shift in the new Macedonian government’s position; yet, this approach may exacerbate Turkey’s already high tensions.
Turkey launched a crackdown on the Gülen movement in response to corruption probes involving high-ranking officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoan asserted that the Gülen movement planned the investigations to discredit his administration. In 2016, Erdoğan accused Fethullah Gülen, a preacher in exile in the US, of orchestrating the failed coup attempt. This fueled his hostility towards the movement. Erdoğan labelled the Gülen movement as a terrorist group, purging its members from Turkish institutions and launching a worldwide campaign to eradicate Gülenists.
Since 2016, Turkey has pursued the extradition or forced return of Gülen sympathizers from several countries, often using disputed and illegal ways. The Turkish government has used its National Intelligence Organization (MİT) to perform renditions of Turkish individuals suspected of having ties to the Gülen movement, violating due process and international legal standards. The operations have used a variety of tactics, including diplomatic pressure and covert abductions. In other cases, persons have been apprehended without formal extradition hearings, leading to accusations of human rights breaches.
International organizations have strongly condemned Turkey’s worldwide repression effort. In 2021, the Stockholm Center for Freedom published a thorough report exposing Turkey’s abductions and forced repatriations of Gülen sympathizers from several countries. According to the report, Turkey’s actions violate both domestic laws in the countries of rendition and international human rights standards. Turkey continues to advocate for increased extraditions, claiming that Gülenists pose a national security threat.
Turkey’s diplomatic measures to gain the extradition of supposed Gülen followers regularly fail, as evidenced by the situation in North Macedonia. Turkey is an important strategic partner for several nations, particularly in the Balkans; yet, its requests for extradition and involvement in domestic political conflicts have strained these partnerships. Accepting Turkey’s demands might jeopardize North Macedonia’s relations with the European Union and international human rights organizations, which are closely monitoring Turkey’s repression of political dissidents.
In reaction to Turkey’s actions, international human rights organizations have decried how the country has treated alleged Gülenists. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has found in several cases that Turkey’s arrests and involuntary repatriations of Gülen movement supporters violate international human rights law. In 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) published a resolution condemning transnational repression, including Turkey’s techniques of targeting Gülen supporters around the world.
Turkey remains committed to the effort despite worldwide condemnation. The MİT has confirmed that over 100 persons linked to the Gülen movement have been repatriated to Turkey, often under suspicious circumstances. Emsal Koç, a Turkish national, was abducted in Tajikistan and illegally taken to Turkey, where he was later located in detention in Erzurum province. These acts indicate Turkey’s commitment to stifle opposition, even at the price of violating international law.
Turkey’s relentless pressure on countries like North Macedonia may eventually prove counterproductive. Turkey’s efforts to collaborate with allies in its global repression campaign may result in diplomatic isolation for Ankara. Countries that value the rule of law and human rights may be hesitant to compromise their own integrity by agreeing to Turkey’s requests, especially when they include the extradition of political dissidents. Turkey’s forceful tactics against the Gülen movement are widely seen as unproductive, hurting its foreign ties and eroding its credibility worldwide.
Turkey’s sustained pressure on North Macedonia’s new government over this issue may result in the loss of a major regional ally. Turkey’s heavy-handed attitude may cause North Macedonia to remove itself from Ankara’s goal, rather than strengthening diplomatic and economic ties. Turkey’s foreign policy under Erdoğan prioritizes domestic political objectives, such as suppressing the Gülen movement, over maintaining constructive relationships with international partners, leading to a pattern of alienating allies.
In essence, Turkey’s continued efforts to combat the Gülen movement are harming its international reputation and jeopardizing diplomatic relations with countries such as North Macedonia. Turkey’s continued pressure on foreign governments to comply with extradition requests may result in further international isolation. Ankara’s domestic goal is becoming increasingly unhelpful, as concerns about human rights and abuses of international law grow. Turkey’s approach to transnational repression may achieve immediate goals, but it is ultimately a self-inflicted setback that jeopardizes the country’s larger diplomatic and geopolitical ambitions.
