Acquiring Turkish Citizenship Through the Turquoise Card

1. Introduction

Article 12 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 governs the exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship. Sub-paragraph (b) of that Article brings together two distinct groups of foreign nationals under a single heading:

1. Foreign nationals who hold an investment-based short-term residence permit granted under Article 31(1)(j) of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LFIP, Law No. 6458) — obtained through real estate, fixed capital, employment, or bank-deposit investment; and

2. Turquoise Card (Turkuaz Kart) holders, together with their foreign spouse and any minor or dependent foreign children.

Although grouped under the same provision, these two routes rest on different legal grounds, different eligibility criteria, and different procedures. One point is frequently misunderstood: the investment-based residence route requires a specific monetary threshold (e.g., a USD 400,000 real estate acquisition), whereas the Turquoise Card route has no such monetary threshold — eligibility is assessed under a merit-based points system. This article addresses the Turquoise Card route only.

2. What Is a Turquoise Card, and Who Qualifies?

The Turquoise Card is regulated by the Turquoise Card Regulation (Official Gazette dated 14 March 2017, No. 30007) and grants the holder indefinite work and residence rights in Türkiye, with residence rights extended to qualifying family members. Under Article 5 of the Regulation, a Turquoise Card may be granted to foreign nationals assessed as:

"(a) highly qualified workforce, by reference to educational level, salary, professional knowledge and experience, and contribution to science and technology; (b) highly qualified investors, by reference to the level of investment or exports, the scale of employment to be generated, and contribution to scientific and technological development; (c) scientists or researchers conducting work considered strategic for Türkiye's national interests in science, industry, or technology at an international level; (ç) individuals who have achieved international-level success in cultural, artistic, or sporting activities; (d) individuals contributing to the international recognition or promotion of Türkiye or Turkish culture..." (Turquoise Card Regulation, Art. 5)

Applications are evaluated under a points-based system set by the Ministry pursuant to Article 9 of the Regulation; applications reaching the required score are approved.

3. How the Turquoise Card Connects to Citizenship

Holding a Turquoise Card does not, by itself, create any right to citizenship. The connection arises from the combined operation of Article 12(1)(b) of Law No. 5901 and Article 19(3) of the Turquoise Card Regulation:

"Foreign nationals listed below may acquire Turkish citizenship by decision of the President, provided there is no impediment on grounds of national security or public order: (...) (b) those who hold a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, as well as Turquoise Card holders and their foreign spouse, and their own or their spouse's minor or dependent foreign children." (Law No. 5901, Art. 12(1)(b))

"A Turquoise Card holder and their family member falling within Article 12(1)(b) of Law No. 5901 may acquire Turkish citizenship where there is no impediment on grounds of national security or public order, the transition-period record has been lifted, and the Ministry proposes such acquisition." (Turquoise Card Regulation, Art. 19(3))

This provision sets out three cumulative conditions: (i) no impediment on grounds of national security or public order; (ii) the transition-period record must have been lifted — meaning the holder has an indefinite (süresiz) Turquoise Card, not the initial transitional one; and (iii) the Ministry of Labour and Social Security must propose the acquisition. The third condition shows that, even at the end of the process, citizenship is not automatic — the final decision rests with the President.

4. Stages of the Process

4.1 Transitional Turquoise Card. A Turquoise Card is first issued subject to a three-year transition-period record (Regulation, Art. 15). During this period, an expert appointed by the Directorate General monitors the holder's activities and prepares monitoring reports at twelve-month intervals.

4.2 Conversion to an indefinite card. Provided the card has not been cancelled during the transition period, the holder may apply to have the transition-period record lifted from 180 days before its expiry (and, in any event, before it expires). Where the final monitoring report is positive, the record is lifted and the card becomes indefinite (Arts. 17-18). This stage represents the minimum three-year threshold in the overall process.

4.3 Citizenship application and decision. Once an indefinite Turquoise Card has been obtained, citizenship becomes possible upon the Ministry's proposal and the President's decision. No further minimum statutory period is prescribed for this stage; however, because it involves administrative review and a formal proposal, no fixed timeframe can be reliably committed to.

5. Points Commonly Misunderstood

• Obtaining a Turquoise Card does not, on its own, create a right to apply for citizenship; the card must first become indefinite.

• There is no fixed investment amount (such as USD 400,000) under this route — eligibility is assessed on merit through the points system.

• The final decision remains at the administration's discretion (Ministry's proposal + President's decision); meeting the stated conditions does not, by itself, create a vested right to citizenship.

• A spouse and any minor or dependent children may benefit from the same provision alongside the cardholder, but the national security / public order condition is assessed separately for each of them.