What specific documents in the Epstein files reference Turkey and what details do they provide?
Executive summary
The publicly released Epstein files include a small number of explicit references to Turkey: an email chain seeking Epstein’s help with fundraising for Istanbul’s Robert College, correspondence that names a U.S. envoy with Turkey responsibilities, and at least one heavily redacted/informally cited court document alleged to state that minors from Turkey were transported to Epstein’s private island; the trafficking allegation in the released materials remains unverified and is reported mainly via Turkish outlets and lawmakers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. The larger DOJ release is massive and inconsistently redacted, meaning Turkey-related mentions may exist elsewhere but are obscured or remain sealed in the publicly searchable batches [7] [8] [9].
1. A fundraising email about Robert College — a concrete, documented Turkey reference
One of the clearest Turkey-linked documents in the public Epstein corpus is a November 7, 2014 email exchange in which Landon Thomas Jr., identified as a Robert College board member and New York Times journalist, solicits Epstein’s advice and potential support for fundraising tied to Robert College in Istanbul, framing the school’s mission as increasingly important amid what he described as a conservative shift in Turkey’s politics and society [1] [2]. Reporting reproducing that correspondence states Thomas asked whether to approach foundations such as Gates and offered to arrange a meeting between Epstein and the college headmaster while making the case that Robert College’s 150th anniversary presented a fundraising moment [1] [2]. Those emails are cited as part of the DOJ’s broader document release and represent an uncontroversial transactional reference to Turkey rather than an allegation of criminal conduct linked to Turkish nationals [1] [2].
2. Allegations that minors “from Turkey” were taken to Little St. James — reported but unverified
Several Turkish-language and regional outlets and a Turkish lawmaker have pointed to one or more court documents in the DOJ release that they say allege underage girls from Turkey were transported to Epstein’s Caribbean island and that some did not speak English, but those reports emphasize the allegation is unverified in the public record and the source documents are heavily redacted or summarized in secondary reporting [5] [6]. Turkish Minute and P.A. Turkey cite a lawmaker’s public statement that “the documents state that young girls from Turkey were taken to the abuse island” and note that Turkish authorities had not independently confirmed identification of victims or arrests tied to those claims [5] [6]. Those sources also stress the DOJ release included many redactions and that the claimed passages naming Turkish-origin victims have not been corroborated by independent court findings or official Turkish confirmation [6].
3. A U.S. envoy with Turkey ties appears in released correspondence — suggestive but not evidentiary of trafficking ties
Among the released communications publicized by congressional disclosures and news outlets is an email exchange involving Tom Barrack, who in reporting was described as U.S. ambassador to Turkey in overlapping accounts, in which Epstein requests “photos of you and child — make me smile,” language that sparked reporting because Barrack had diplomatic ties to the region; reporting notes these messages were part of a larger congressional trove released in late 2025 [3] [4]. While those emails name a figure associated with Turkey in press coverage and are factually present in the disclosures cited by outlets, published accounts do not connect Barrack’s correspondence to trafficking of Turkish minors; they document disturbing solicitations but stop short of proving cross-border victim transport involving Turkey [3] [4].
4. Scale of the releases, redactions, and why uncertainties persist
The Justice Department’s multistage disclosures comprise millions of pages, thousands of images and videos, and varying levels of redaction and reviewer care, which means mentions of Turkey could be more numerous but obscured, duplicated, or omitted in public batches; major outlets note around 3.5 million pages were published in the January 2026 tranche and that reviewers exercised different redaction standards [7] [8] [9]. Secondary reporting and opinion pieces warn of political and media incentives that can amplify unverified claims (for example, Turkish political actors seeking attention or media outlets emphasizing sensational elements), and several Turkish commentators argue that domestic files and allegations remain sealed for political reasons — a claim about local opacity rather than a DOJ-documented fact [10]. Given these constraints, the verifiable Turkey references in the public Epstein files are: the Robert College fundraising emails, the Barrack correspondence (as published by congressional releases and press outlets), and at least one redacted document cited by Turkish sources alleging minors from Turkey were transported — with the latter explicitly unverified in the public record [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].