Turkish Far-Right Leader Demands Deportation of Afghan Refugees

Kokcha News Agency – Amid mass deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran, Ümit Özdağ has called on the Turkish government to repatriate Afghan and Syrian refugees, citing “national security concerns.”

Speaking at a party event on Saturday, July 13, 2025, Özdağ referenced Iran’s recent expulsion of over 500,000 Afghan migrants and argued Turkey should follow suit. He also echoed unverified Iranian allegations that some Afghan migrants collaborated with Israel.

Özdağ’s remarks follow a wave of anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran, triggered by alleged links to Israeli intelligence. President Erdoğan’s migration policy faces increasing criticism, with opposition parties accusing the ruling AKP of using migration as a “bargaining chip.”

According to Turkey’s national statistics agency, over 139,000 Afghans were officially residing in the country in 2024, with undocumented numbers thought to be higher. Mass detentions and deportations have continued, with over 230,000 undocumented migrants identified, detained, and deported in 2024.

Özdağ was previously convicted and sentenced to two years in prison in 2024 for inciting public hostility against Syrian refugees.

Human rights groups have raised alarms over escalating calls for mass deportations, warning of violations of international law and grave risks to refugees returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.