Turkish Citizenship Applications: Questions and Answers

A citizenship application depends on the statutory conditions being met according to the type of application and on the outcome of the administrative assessment.

Under the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, acquiring citizenship through the general route, through marriage and through exceptional routes is subject to different conditions. Residence periods, identity and civil status documents, public order and security requirements, and special regulations relating to the type of application are examined. The acceptance of an application does not come about through the applicant’s unilateral statement. In the event of a rejection decision or a failure to act, the administrative judicial route and its time limit should be assessed separately according to the nature of the decision.

No; meeting the investment conditions does not, on its own, mean that citizenship is definitely acquired.

The investment document, the real estate or capital condition, annotations relating to the period, the public order and national security review, and the administration’s decision-making authority are assessed. The secondary legislation and monetary thresholds on the day of application must also be verified.

No. Five years of uninterrupted residence in Türkiye, counted back from the date of application, is only one of the conditions required for citizenship through the general route.

Under Article 11 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, in an application for citizenship through the general route, conditions are assessed together such as being of full age and having the capacity to discern, five years of uninterrupted residence in Türkiye counted back from the date of application, conduct showing the intention to settle in Türkiye, general health, good moral character, sufficient Turkish, having an income or profession to support oneself, and the absence of any obstacle in terms of national security/public order. Meeting the conditions does not result in citizenship being acquired automatically.

No. Marriage to a Turkish citizen does not grant citizenship directly.

Under Law No. 5901, a foreigner who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage continues may apply to acquire Turkish citizenship through marriage, provided that the foreigner also meets the other statutory conditions. Conditions such as living within the family union, not engaging in activity incompatible with the marital union, and the absence of any circumstance that would constitute an obstacle in terms of national security/public order are assessed.

Turkish law does not, as a general rule, prohibit a Turkish citizen from also holding the citizenship of another state; the law of the other state must be examined separately.

With respect to multiple citizenship, Türkiye's acceptance alone is not sufficient; the acquisition or retention of the other citizenship is also subject to the law of the foreign state concerned. The legislation of both countries should be assessed together with respect to the person's acquisition of the citizenship of another state, its loss, or any notification obligation.

Yes. The rejection of a citizenship application is an administrative act, and it may be subject to review of lawfulness before the administrative courts within the framework of the notification, the reasoning and the statutory conditions of the specific decision.

In the rejection decision, the citizenship route on which the application was based, the condition regarded as missing, the reasoning of the security/public order assessment, the documents and records, and the date of notification should be examined. The administrative judiciary is not the authority that grants citizenship directly; it reviews the lawfulness of the administrative act. The time limit for filing an action and the competent/authorised court should be determined according to the nature of the specific decision.