Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Birth

Under Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Turkish citizenship is acquired in two ways: citizenship acquired by birth and citizenship acquired subsequently. Below is a summary of the legal basis and scope of citizenship acquired by birth, the application procedure, and how the process applies to individuals who have already turned 18.

Under Article 6 of the Law, citizenship acquired by birth is acquired automatically on the basis of descent or place of birth, and takes effect from the moment of birth. No separate procedure is required to acquire this citizenship; any subsequent application serves only to establish the existing right and register it in the civil registry.

1. Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship on the Basis of Descent

Acquisition on the basis of descent means that a child acquires the citizenship of the Turkish citizen parent to whom the child is related at the time of birth. Article 7 of the Law regulates this in three situations:

• A child born within marriage to a Turkish citizen mother or father, whether in Turkey or abroad, is a Turkish citizen.

• A child born out of wedlock to a Turkish citizen mother and a foreign father is a Turkish citizen.

• A child born out of wedlock to a Turkish citizen father and a foreign mother acquires Turkish citizenship once the parent-child relationship with the father has been established through the applicable legal procedure (for example, recognition or a paternity judgment).

It is sufficient for only one of the parents to be a Turkish citizen at the time of birth; the fact that the other parent holds foreign citizenship does not prevent the child from acquiring Turkish citizenship. In such cases, the child may acquire both Turkish citizenship and, under the laws of the other parent's country, the citizenship of that state at the same time. This resulting situation of multiple citizenship is addressed separately below.

2. Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship on the Basis of Place of Birth

Under Article 8 of the Law, a child born in Turkey who cannot acquire any country's citizenship by birth due to the status of its foreign parents is a Turkish citizen from birth. This provision is intended to prevent the child from becoming stateless.

In addition, a child found in Turkey is presumed to have been born in Turkey unless proven otherwise.

3. Notifications Made from Abroad After the Person Has Turned 18

There are cases in which a person has acquired Turkish citizenship by birth, but this has never been recorded in the civil registry. This can occur where a person was born and raised abroad and the birth was never notified to the Turkish authorities at the time.

Such persons may be registered in the family register — even after turning 18 — if the Ministry's review establishes that they acquired Turkish citizenship by birth through a Turkish citizen mother or father. Having already turned 18 does not prevent an application from being made in this context; the application is subject to review together with the documents listed below.

Documents Required for the Application

• Application Form (VAT-1)

• 2 biometric, machine-readable photographs, 50x60 mm in size, on a plain white background, meeting ICAO standards

• If one of the parents is a citizen of a foreign state: a duly certified document proving that parent's identity, together with a duly certified document establishing whether the applicant acquired that state's citizenship through the foreign parent, both accompanied by notarized Turkish translations

• Signed statements taken by the application authority from the applicant's mother and father (or, if one has died, from any siblings, where available) indicating the degree of relationship

• If both parents have died: signed statements taken by the application authority from any siblings and third-degree relatives, where available, indicating the degree of relationship

• A notarized Turkish translation of the duly certified birth certificate

• A birth record (VGF-10-01) to be prepared on the basis of the birth certificate

Application Authority and Procedure

• Applications are submitted to the governorship of the place of residence within Turkey, or to the relevant foreign representative office (consulate/embassy) if abroad.

• Applications must be made in person; they may also be made through a representative holding a special power of attorney issued for this purpose.

• Applications sent by post are not accepted.

• Applications concerning minors or persons lacking legal capacity are made by their parents or guardians.

• The application date is taken to be the date on which the application form was recorded by the receiving authority.

• Certification of official documents issued by foreign authorities is carried out in accordance with Article 59 of the Population Services Implementation Regulation.

• Documents such as diplomas or passports obtained from foreign authorities need only be accompanied by a notarized Turkish translation.

• Where deemed necessary, the certification of residence permits' conformity with the original may also be carried out by provincial directorates.

4. Declaration of Multiple Citizenship

A person who acquires Turkish citizenship by birth may also hold the citizenship of another state at the same time; this may arise, for example, from the laws of the foreign parent's country. Turkish law does not prohibit multiple citizenship; however, this status must be declared as part of the application and registration process.

In this regard, the section of the application form (VAT-1) titled "Information Regarding the Person Requesting Multiple Citizenship Processing" must be completed. Where the applicant holds, or has acquired by birth, the citizenship of another state, the following information must be declared and the corresponding documents submitted:

• Which state's citizenship is held

• How and on what date that citizenship was acquired

• Certified and translated copies of the documents issued by the foreign authorities concerning this status

Incomplete or inaccurate declaration of this information may result in delays to the registration process or the need for subsequent record corrections.