| New rules on road to Turkish citizenship |
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ANKARA - New conditions to obtain Turkish citizenship were passed in Parliament late Thursday. The condition requiring foreigners to reside in Turkey for five years has remained, while advantages have been given to those involved in science or investing.
Not doing military service and holding another country’s citizenship without permission are no longer among the reasons for being deprived of Turkish citizenship. According to the law, a child born to foreign parents in Turkey can receive Turkish citizenship if the child is not able to obtain the citizenship of his or her foreign-born parents’ country. A foreign child adopted by a Turk will now also be granted Turkish citizenship.
The law brings new conditions for foreigners to obtain Turkish citizenship. The consent of a competent authority is required for a foreigner to switch to Turkish citizenship. Foreigners can become Turkish citizens if they comply with the following conditions.
The conditions are:
- Foreigners must be of a mature age, have the ability to abide by their nation’s laws or Turkish laws if they are stateless.
- Foreigners must five years of uninterrupted residency in Turkey. The time limitation had earlier been raised to five years from three, and with the new law the five-year compulsory residence remains in place.
- Foreigners will have to confirm with their actions that they have made a decision to settle in Turkey.
- Foreigners must be free of dangerous diseases.
- Applicants must have good moral character, speak a reasonable level of Turkish, and earn enough to support themselves and their dependents, or have a good job.
Authority approval
Even if foreigners comply with all the conditions, they will not be able to earn citizenship if the Turkish authorities do not approve.
But, with the Interior Ministry’s proposal and the decision of the Cabinet, the law offers many new advantages to foreign investors and scientists. |
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