Fact Check: Turkish police not deployed for BARMM polls, Philippine authorities deny claim

Election watchdogs in the Philippines have debunked claims circulating on social media that Turkish police will be deployed to secure the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The assertion, which suggested Turkish officers would apprehend election law violators, has been labeled as false. A Facebook page named “Bagong Kapantay Moro” posted on September 6 that Turkish police would guard the first parliamentary elections in BARMM, scheduled for September 14, to prevent cheating and arrest offenders. The post reads: “Turkiyé polis (sic) magbabantay sa kauna-unahang parliament election sa BARMM? Upang panatilihin na walang dayaan sa eleksyon. Huhuliin nila ang lalabag at mandaraya.” (Turkish police will guard the first parliamentary elections in BARMM to prevent cheating. They will arrest violators and cheaters.) The post garnered significant engagement, with some commenters appearing to believe the claim. One commenter thanked foreign countries for supposedly helping the United Bangsamoro Justice Party and the Bangsamoro. However, election watchdog groups Independent Election Monitoring Center – BARMM and the Institute for Autonomy and Governance refuted the claim in a September 8 Facebook post. They stated, “No foreign police force, including Türkiye’s, can be deployed to enforce, patrol, or police another country’s elections. Election security in BARMM remains the responsibility of [Commission on Election]-BARMM, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police.” The watchdog groups suggested that the viral claim likely misrepresents a genuine appeal made by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim. Inquirer.net reported that Ebrahim, in an August 30 letter ahead of the September 14 polls, called on foreign governments and international organizations to send election observers. The same report mentioned that Turkey was among the diplomatic missions invited to participate, but the invitation was for observers, not police officers. The invitation made no mention of granting foreign personnel the authority to make arrests or conduct security operations. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has opened the BARMM elections to local and international observers under Resolution No. 11247. Accredited observers may monitor different stages of the election, subject to Comelec’s rules. Observers must also remain impartial and free from political, economic, or other conflicts of interest. As of writing, there are no public statements issued by the Turkish Embassy in Manila or Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the invitation. Unrelated photo: A reverse image search using Google Images traces the photograph to the Daily Sabah’s April 10 report on the Turkish Police Organization’s 181st anniversary, which says the photo is credited to Anadolu Ajansi (AA). Other AA photos of the same event can be found on Anadolu Images and Reuters. The original caption places the police parade in Kayseri, Turkey, on April 10, 2026. The image does not show Turkish police officers preparing for deployment to secure the BARMM polls. Securing the elections: The first-ever BARMM parliamentary elections will be held on September 14, marking a historic milestone in the region’s transition from the 2014 peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to a functioning parliamentary system. (LIVE UPDATES: First BARMM parliamentary elections) The election also comes amid real security and turnout concerns. Monitoring groups have flagged a rise in gun-related incidents and voter uncertainty over the new parliamentary system, warning that these could affect turnout and public confidence in the polls. To address security concerns, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the deputation of Philippine law enforcement agencies through Memorandum Order No. 48. The government’s security plan for the elections includes nearly 9,000 Philippine National Police officers, five joint task forces deployed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine Coast Guard support. Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked other false claims involving BARMM officials, as well as other disinformation about Philippine elections: FACT CHECK: BARMM official’s ‘hate quote’ after MSU bombing is fake FACT CHECK: ‘News reports’ on Bayan Muna disqualification are fabricated FACT CHECK: 2025 midterm elections on May 12, no date change FACT CHECK: Local surveys showing Duterte family, others winning, are fake — Pulse Asia – James Bones/Rappler.com James Bones is a Research and Data volunteer at Rappler. He is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. Source: Rappler Philippines