ALI YILDIZ LEGAL 
Ali Yildiz submits written evidence to the UK Parliament’s Human Rights Committee
| Ali Yildiz and Mr Michael Polak from Church Court Chambers have jointly submitted evidence to the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights as part of its ongoing inquiry into transnational repression in the UK. Their comprehensive submission sheds light on the Turkish government’s systematic use of anti-terror financing laws, Interpol abuse, and financial exclusion tactics as tools of transnational repression—particularly targeting exiled members of the Gülen Movement, including British citizens and UK residents. The evidence highlights: Türkiye’s misuse of international legal mechanisms (such as FATF standards and asset-freezing decrees) to target dissidents abroad under the guise of combating terrorism. The direct impact on individuals in the UK, including unjustified bank account closures, credit denials, and financial surveillance stemming from politically motivated asset-freezing decrees. The role of UK-based due diligence companies and financial institutions—often unintentionally—in amplifying these politically motivated sanctions. The authors call on the UK government to: (i) Strengthen safeguards against foreign misuse of international cooperation mechanisms, (ii) Protect those living in the UK from politically motivated financial blacklisting, (iii) Establish an independent mechanism for victims of transnational repression to challenge data misuse and seek redress. Their submission builds upon the authors’ previous work, including the 2022 report titled “Weaponization of Anti-Terror Financing Measures: The Turkish Government’s New Transnational Repression Tool to Silence Its Critics.” |