The United States has long served as a haven for those facing political oppression abroad. While critics of current immigration policy complain about the number of economic migrants which come to the United States, even the most strident immigration opponents tend to make an exception for dissidents targeted fleeing autocracies because of speech, religion, or democracy activism. Russian, Cuban, and Chinese dissidents have often sought refuge in the United States once the autocracies that they sought to reform sought to imprison or kill them. At the time, before the current age of moral equivalency and rationalization of repression, dissidents the world over understood the United States stood for freedom and liberty.

While Iraqis, Afghans, Taiwanese, Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Colombians, Israelis, Syrians, and others now understand they should not trust America, freedom can be enticing. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2014, China accounted for 45 percent of asylum claims; India represented one-tenth of that, and Ethiopia, Nepal, and Egypt accounted for another three percent each. Other countries singled out by name were notoriously repressive Eritrea, the former Soviet Union, and a number of Latin American countries.

It may soon be time to add Turkey to the list. Diplomats may still pay lip service to a U.S. ally, but Turkey can increasingly be a deadly place for those opposing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s dictatorial tendencies and alleged corruption. U.S. diplomats believe that Erdoğan has siphoned money off into at least eight different Swiss bank accounts, and phone taps seem to suggest that Erdoğan has another billion squirreled away in his homes. A summary of the corruption allegations against Turkey’s strongman can be found here.

Erdoğan does not hesitate to use the powers of state to target those who resist his policies or who disagree with him ideologically. Take this case, for example, from 2005 in which Erdoğan imprisoned a university rector on laughably false charges because he refused to acquiesce to Islamization of his university. Then, of course, there were the paranoid and contrived “Ergenekon” and “Balyoz” conspiracies in which Erdoğan had his brown shirts roll up hundreds of real and perceived opponents. He has also targeted those who intercepted Turkish weapons shipments to an Al Qaeda-affiliate inside Syria.

Now, Erdoğan is targeting prosecutors who sought to pursue the corruption allegations, forcing them to flee first into Georgia and, with Turkey seeking their extradition, into Armenia.

It’s all well and good for diplomats to make nice noises about how Turkey is a partner, but if the United States truly wants to help Turks, perhaps it’s time to open up our doors to those fleeing persecution from an increasingly arbitrary and authoritarian leader. What complications that might cause in the short-term would be more than overcome in the long-term as Turks recognizes that in their hour of need, the United States stood with the people against their oppressor.