The Terrorism Wanted List is an official system published by the Ministry of Interior through which information concerning persons stated to be wanted for terrorism-related offences is shared with the public. Information concerning the list is published through the Terrorism Wanted website operated under the Ministry of Interior, and the photographs, identity details, place and year of birth, affiliated organisation, and designated reward categories of the individuals concerned are made available to the public.

The system was first announced to the public in 2015 and was established to encourage information and reports that could assist in the apprehension of persons wanted for terrorism-related offences. Under the Anti-Terror Law and the relevant reward legislation, monetary rewards may be granted under certain conditions to persons who contribute to uncovering offences, obtaining evidence, or apprehending wanted persons.

Colour Categories and Reward System

Persons included in the Terrorism Wanted system are classified according to different risk and priority categories. For many years, the system operated through five separate categories: red, blue, green, orange, and grey. Following an amendment introduced in 2024, the existing structure was reorganised into the red, orange, yellow, and grey categories. Reward amounts are not granted automatically in every case and depend on the assessment of the competent authorities within the framework of the relevant legislation.

Consequences of Inclusion on the List

The Terrorism Wanted List does not constitute a conviction issued by a criminal court. Nevertheless, inclusion on the list increases the public visibility of the persons concerned and may give rise to various legal, administrative, and financial consequences.

In particular, international financial institutions, compliance departments, and commercial risk databases regularly monitor publicly available sources. For this reason, information included in the Terrorism Wanted List may be transferred to global commercial risk databases and may affect banking services, customer onboarding procedures, and other financial transactions concerning the persons involved.

Data Protection and Accuracy Issues

One of the most important issues concerning publicly available security lists is data accuracy and identity verification. In particular, false matches involving persons with similar names, incomplete identity information, or outdated records may lead to various forms of harm.

For this reason, financial institutions and commercial data providers that collect data from publicly available sources are required to carry out identity verification, gather additional information, and conduct up-to-date checks rather than acting solely on the basis of name similarity. The fact that a person appears on a publicly available list does not mean that all risk assessments carried out in relation to that person are automatically accurate.

Rights and Available Remedies

Where information included in the Terrorism Wanted List is processed by third-party data providers or financial institutions, the persons concerned may have various rights under data protection law. It may be possible to request the correction of inaccurate matches, the reassessment of outdated records, information regarding the processing of personal data, and, under certain conditions, to exercise the right to object.

Persons experiencing difficulties in accessing financial services due to risk profiles created by international data providers may apply directly to the relevant data providers, as well as to the competent data protection authorities and, where appropriate, financial dispute resolution mechanisms.

The Terrorism Wanted List is a search and reporting system published by public authorities. Inclusion on the list and a final conviction issued by a criminal court do not have the same legal nature. Each individual case must be assessed in light of its own circumstances, and the legal safeguards of the persons concerned must be protected.