In a ruling dated 24 November 2025, the Sigmaringen Administrative Court ordered the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) to recognise a Turkish veterinarian who had fled to Germany, a supporter of the so-called Gülen movement, as a refugee. The BAMF had rejected the man’s asylum application because he had already served a prison sentence of more than six years in Turkey and, in the opinion of the office, was not at risk of further danger.
However, the man’s appeal against the rejection before the Sigmaringen Administrative Court has now been upheld. According to the ruling, Germany must grant him asylum and recognise him as a refugee under Section 3 (1) No. 1 of the Asylum Act, as he faces persecution in Turkey because of his membership of a social group. The Turkish judiciary’s conviction of the Gülen supporter was a case of discriminatory prosecution. On this basis, it can be assumed that he could be persecuted again if he returned to Turkey. The court refers to a series of rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, which has convicted Turkey in several cases for human rights violations in the prosecution of political dissidents.
“Rule of law principles not guaranteed in Turkey”
Legal experts believe that the Sigmaringen ruling could send a strong signal, as it expresses general doubts about the Turkish judiciary, stating, for example: “Compliance with the principles of the rule of law and with procedural and defendants” rights remains severely impaired and is not consistently guaranteed in Turkey in the area of terrorism/state security. The Turkish judiciary’s disregard for fundamental guarantees of a fair trial and the very lax application of criminal law to acts that are actually lawful have led in these cases to a degree of legal uncertainty and arbitrariness that jeopardises the very essence of the rule of law.” The “lack of independence of judges and prosecutors” is seen by both the Sigmaringen Administrative Court and the ECtHR as the most important cause of this (see paragraph 52 of the judgment).
Political persecution of the Gülen movement
The Gülen movement, founded by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, who has since died in exile in the USA, is mainly involved in establishing educational institutions and promoting interreligious dialogue, but has a critical relationship with Turkish politics. In Turkey, the movement has been classified as a terrorist organisation since the attempted coup in 2016, which has led to massive persecution of its followers. More than 125,000 people are said to have been convicted because of their affiliation with the Gülen movement.
beck-aktuell on the Sigmaringen ruling:
Persecution in Turkey: Germany must grant asylum to Gülen supporters
The ruling is published at:
State law BW – A 13 K 3434/24 | VG Sigmaringen 13th Chamber | 24 November 2025 | Ruling
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