According to LFIP, the PDMM is the responsible authority for receiving and registering applications for international protection.[1]
Applications on the territory
Applications for international protection are made to the “Governorates” “in person”, indicating that applicants are expected to physically approach the PDMM and personally present their request.[2] A lawyer or legal representative may not make applications for international protection. However, a person can apply on behalf of accompanying family members, defined to cover the spouse, minor children and dependent adult children as per Article 3(1)(a) LFIP.[3] Where a person wishes to file an application on behalf of adult family members, the latter written approval needs to be taken.
According to the law, for applicants who are physically unable to approach the PDMM premises to make a request for an international protection request, officials from the PDMM may be directed to the applicant’s location in order to process the application.[4] In the same way, registration interviews with unaccompanied minors and other persons who are unable to report to the designated registration premises in the province may be carried out in the locations where they are.[5] There is no indication that these provisions have been applied in practice so far.
Article 65 LFIP does not impose any time limits on persons for making an application as such, whether on the territory, in detention or at the border. However, Article 65(4) appears to impose on applicants the responsibility of approaching competent authorities “within a reasonable time” as a precondition for being spared from punishment for illegal entry or stay. The assessment of whether an application has been made “within a reasonable time” is to be made on an individual basis.[6]
The LFIP states that applications for international protection shall be registered by the PDMM.[7] Applicants can request and shall be provided interpretation services for the purpose of the registration interview and later the personal interview.[8]
Access to the international protection procedure changed substantially in 2018 when the operation of RSD procedures by UNHCR ceased. Applications for international protection are now registered solely by the PDMM in the 81 provinces. In practice, however, if the PDMM is approached by an asylum seeker and cannot receive their application, it directs the person to another city so they can register the application there. Applicants are expected to register at the PDMM of the assigned city within 15 days. Failure to appear within 15 days leads to the application being considered as withdrawn (“cancelled”). PMM does not provide assistance with transportation costs but can refer applicants to NGOs such as SGDD-ASAM for assistance. UNHCR has been supporting the registration of persons in need of international protection by working with PMM and its PDMMs.[9]
It was noted that PDMM found some new rejection causes. In the case of an Iranian residing in Türkiye with a valid residence permit who wishes to apply for international protection in October 2022, PDMM argued that the individual was a regular migrant and therefore could not apply for international protection. This was a verbal rejection from Kocaeli and Kastamonu PDMMs. They did not issue a decision but instead referred the Iranian person to another PDMM located in a small city.[10] The trend of not being able to apply for protection in case of residing in Türkiye previously with residence permit continued in 2023.
Article 69 LFIP does not lay down any time limits for the completion of registration by the PDMM, although its Implementing Regulation, the Regulation on Foreigners and International Protection (RFIP), requires applications to be recorded “within the shortest time on the institutional software system” of PMM.[11] The RFIP provides that application authorities shall notify the applicant a date for their registration interview during the application if possible, otherwise at a later stage.[12] According to stakeholders, when comparing two applicants – one who applies for international protection within one month of entry and another who waits two years – the former is more likely to have their application accepted, whereas the latter may be prevented from submitting an application altogether.[13]
In practice, the takeover of the process by PMM in September 2018 resulted in obstacles to access to the asylum procedure. Issues persisted in 2024 and arbitrariness increased after the takeover of registration of non-Syrians. It is difficult to assess the overall system since there is no standardised application.[14] Accessing the application remains very difficult in 2024,[15] the registration system remained the most significant barrier to accessing basic rights and services in 2024. Access to international protection registration became nearly impossible in certain provinces that were identified as closed for new applications and especially for certain groups without any specific vulnerabilities. Single women, people with serious health issues, and families, more often, were able to access the application. However, single men from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, faced significant challenges to be able to access application. The main public policy has seemed to be to leave people unregistered to push them to leave Türkiye or decrease the official numbers, except in vulnerable cases.[16]
In one case, an Afghan family – including a child with scoliosis – attempted to apply for international protection at the Manisa PDMM with the support of an NGO worker. However, their application was refused on the grounds that Afghanistan is now considered safe and that no serious conflict is ongoing in the country. In another case, a single woman from an African country approached the İzmir PDMM, where an official, displaying a dismissive attitude, verbally questioned her need for protection by asking, “What problem does that country have?”[17] For instance, Afghan women with Hazara ethnic identity, and Afghan men who served in the military in Afghanistan (if they could prove their claims) could access applications faster, however, there were some cases who held student residence permits wanted to apply for protection after the Taliban took over were not able to access the application.[18] According to stakeholders, in some cases, applicants are verbally informed by the PDMM that they will be contacted within one month. However, they are not provided with any official documentation confirming their application attempt or appointment. This leaves them vulnerable to potential apprehension, as they have no proof of having approached the authorities. Stakeholders noted that individuals who are told they will receive such a call often report never being contacted. If these individuals were formally registered at that stage, they could then be referred to another city through official procedures.[19]
The registration interview serves to compile information and any documents from the applicant to identify identity, flight reasons, and experiences after departure from the country of origin, travel route, mode of arrival in Türkiye, and any previous applications for international protection in another country.[20] The PDMM may carry out a body search and checks on the personal belongings of applicants in order to confirm that all documents have been presented.[21] Where an applicant is unable to present documents to establish their identity, the registration authorities shall rely on an analysis of personal data and information gathered from other research. Where such identification measures fail to provide the relevant information, the applicant’s own statements shall be accepted to be true.[22]
Where there are concerns that an applicant may have a medical condition threatening public health, he or she may be referred to a medical check.[23] Information on any special needs shall also be recorded.[24] Since the termination of UNHCR registration activities in 2018, it is unclear how this is handled by the PDMM. Nevertheless, registration is generally allowed for asylum seekers facing emergencies such as pregnancy or severe illness, who are registered in order to make sure that they get medical assistance.[25]
At the time of applying, the asylum seeker must provide a hand-written, signed statement containing information about the international protection application in a language in which he or she is able to express himself or herself. The statement shall contain specific elements including the reasons for entering Türkiye, as well as any special needs of the applicant.[26] Illiterate applicants are exempt from this requirement. Furthermore, the PDMM shall also obtain any supporting documents that the applicant may have with him or her and fill in a standard International Protection Application Notification Form, which will be delivered to the PMM Headquarters within 24 hours.
At the end of the registration interview, all the information recorded on the screen of the electronic system must be precisely read back to the applicant who will have the opportunity to make corrections.[27] A printed version of the registration form filled in electronically is also handed to the applicant.[28]
The law states that the applicant will receive an International Protection Applicant Identification Card upon completion of registration.[29] The Ministry carries out the renewal and extension of International Protection Applicant Identification Card.[30] As of 24 December 2019, the LFIP provides that this document is also issued to applicants falling under the Accelerated Procedure or the inadmissibility provisions,[31] and the obligation to renew Identification Cards every six months was abolished.[32] According to stakeholders, the International Protection Applicant Identification Card may remain valid for one year or even longer in some cases.[33]
Following this reform, the PDMM no longer issues a Registration Document when directing the asylum seeker to the assigned “province of residence” with a view to registering the international protection application. The only documentation the applicant receives after registering their application with the PDMM in the province where the application was submitted is the International Protection Applicant Identification Card which is generally valid for usually one month. Within one month, if the authorities complete their assessment, the applicant is invited to the PDMM where they initially applied and is officially referred to the appointed province, with an obligation to report there within 15 days. This official referral also functions as a travel permit, allowing the applicant to travel without risk of apprehension. If the authorities do not complete the assessment within two months, the identification card is renewed for an additional two months, and this cycle continues until the procedure is completed. As this procedure becomes prolonged, applicants tend to settle in the initial city where they were issued an ID card, making it difficult to relocate to the referred city due to having established a routine or entered into rental agreements, among other factors. However, if the applicant is denied the opportunity to submit their application at a certain PDMM and is told to approach another PDMM that “accepts” international protection applicants, then s/he is required to travel to the assigned province without being provided documentation to attest to their intention to seek international protection. In practice, people are often apprehended during police controls throughout the country and are thus at risk of being transferred to a Removal Centre[34] (see Detention of Asylum Seekers).
On 30 June 2022, PMM announced that 1,169 districts would be closed to protection seekers registrations as of 1 July 2022 except for new-born registration and family reunifications. In early 2022, the previously unconfirmed ‘satellite city’ policy was publicly confirmed with the announcement of the ‘deconcentration policy.’[35] Neighbourhoods with a 25% refugee density had been completely closed to registration, including Fatih, Esenyurt, Avcılar, Bahçelievler, Başakşehir, Bağcılar, Esenler, Küçükçekmece, Sultangazi and Zeytinburnu in İstanbul. The percentage later decreased to 20% and it is prohibited by PMM for any region or area in Türkiye to have a population of foreign nationals that is more than one-fifth of the total population. This includes both people who have made Türkiye their permanent home and those who are merely visiting the country. These disticts are disclosed to foreign nationals seeking address registrations for temporary protection, international protection, and residence permits, as well as changes to their city of residence if they are foreign nationals with residence permits or are under temporary or international protection, with the exception of newborns and instances of nuclear family reunification. Because of this, no non-Turkish national are able to select any of these 1,169 neighbourhoods in Türkiye as their registered address for official matters, nor will they be able to ask the authorities to change their address to any of these places, in 58 cities (Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Ağrı, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Bartın, Batman, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Çanakkale, Çankırı, Çorum, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Elazığ, Erzincan, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hatay, Iğdır, Isparta, İstanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Karabük, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kırşehir, Kilis, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Muş, Nevşehir, Niğde, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sinop, Sivas, Şanlıurfa, Tokat, Trabzon, Uşak, Yalova, Yozgat).[36] According to the latest notice in 2024, the number of districts remains the same, but the number of cities increased to 63 without any details of which cities are added in 2023.[37] According to the YİMER call center, the closed neighbourhood policy does not apply to foreigners of Turkish descent.
The distinction between the ‘province of residence’ policy and the ‘deconcentration’ policy is significant, though the two are often conflated due to their overlapping implementation practices. The province of residence policy applies specifically to applicants and status holders of international protection and temporary protection. It requires them to remain within the province where they are registered and imposes strict sanctions, including the risk of ID or application cancellation, if they violate this obligation. In contrast, the deconcentration policy is applied more broadly and aims to redistribute foreigners — including those holding residence permits — from provinces with high refugee density to provinces with lower density, ostensibly to alleviate pressure on local services and social cohesion. While both policies restrict the freedom of residence and movement, the former operates under a legal obligation tied to the protection status, whereas the latter appears to be implemented through administrative discretion without a clear legal framework. This lack of transparency and legal basis, particularly for deconcentration, raises concerns about arbitrariness and disproportionality. Both policies have disproportionately negative effects on vulnerable groups, especially when individuals are transferred to provinces where they lack community ties, access to services, or safety — as is often the case for LGBTIQ+ individuals or those with specific medical or protection needs. Furthermore, for Syrians under temporary protection, many of the restrictions stem not from primary legislation but from the Temporary Protection Regulation, raising additional questions about the legality and human rights implications of these practices.
In 2024, the procedures varied from one city to another.[38] While the PDMM accepts applications, it refers them to province of residences, considering factors such as the residence of family members. Recently, applicants were not referred to the cities where crossing into the EU could happen.[39] In Istanbul,[40] accessing the application process is challenging, and referrals to other provinces are sometimes done verbally without providing any official document. In some cases, applicants are only given a small piece of notepaper with a date written on it, without any explanation, names, stamps, or signatures to make it an official document. According to stakeholders, in 2024, the İstanbul PDMM began asking individuals who wish to apply for international protection whether they are willing to be referred to provinces located along the Iranian border. This practice has had a discouraging effect, particularly on Iranian and Afghan applicants.[41] While there has been slight improvement over 2023, only a few cases with serious vulnerabilities, such as severe health issues or disabilities, were successfully registered in Istanbul in 2024. Some of the PDMMs[42] requires a rental contract for registration, yet undocumented individuals face fines for renting, creating a paradoxical barrier. In Izmir, applications are rarely accepted except for very vulnerable cases, with applicants directed to provinces like Afyon, Uşak, and Manisa However, in 2024, officials at the Manisa PDMM stated that they would not accept international protection applications without written documentation. In Uşak, applicants were required to submit notarized rental agreements. As they were unable to provide such documents—having arrived in the province as irregular migrants—they encountered shops selling fake, ready-made rental agreements specifically for use at PDMM offices.[43] In Van, registration is difficult to access but unlikely to the other provinces it is possible especially thanks to the effort of NGO workers and interview appointments are scheduled far in the future. Similar to other provinces, in Ağrı access to registration was nearly impossible due to the capacity issues, five migration officers were handling approximately one thousand cases. Ağrı Bar Association and PDMM have established effective communication over the past year; however, personal interviews are not conducted promptly making the applicatıon impossible.[44] Gaziantep is closed for registration, but Adana and Malatya frequently serve as referral cities. Previously, LGBTIQ+ individuals were referred to certain cities, such as Eskişehir, Yalova, Isparta, and Denizli, in 2024, stakeholders observed that even when LGBTI+ applicants are able to complete the registration process, they are often officially referred from the province where they initially applied to provinces such as Afyon or Uşak, where they are likely to face discrimination.[45] Following a change in management, Mersin is no longer considered a favourable destination for registration. In contrast, in Aksaray and Bilecik, registrations have been possible in some cases thanks to the efforts of NGO workers who were able to persuade the authorities. In some PDMM offices, there is a misconception that only those who arrive irregularly can apply for international protection.[46] This creates difficulties for individuals who previously held any type of residence permit and now need protection due to changes in their home countries, as well as for those under alternatives to detention. In contrast, since individuals who enter Türkiye irregularly are often apprehended and issued deportation orders, those subjected to alternatives to detention—mainly holders of the T6 document—sometimes face difficulties when attempting to apply for international protection. Some PDMM offices take the position that a deportation order which has not been legally challenged prevents an individual from applying for international protection, although this is not stipulated in the LFIP. Given the high number of apprehensions, in 2024, individuals with unchallenged deportation orders increasingly refrained from lodging international protection applications out of concern that they would be rejected or ignored. This concern is not unfounded. On 2 May 2024, a lawyer accompanied her client to the Çankırı PDMM to support their application for international protection. After submitting their petition, they were made to wait for several hours. When the lawyer inquired about the delay, an official responded that the application would not be accepted and that the police had been called. It was later revealed that the applicant had a deportation order which had not been appealed and had been released from a Removal Center with a T6 document. Although the lawyer argued that this did not constitute a legal barrier to applying for international protection, officials insisted that the application could only be submitted from within a Removal Center. Thanks to the lawyer’s intervention, the application was ultimately accepted, but the applicant was immediately transferred to a Removal Center.[47]
People in precarious circumstances isolated themselves and did not leave their homes to avoid police and deportation. When they did so, their foreign identification numbers were deactivated, preventing them from accessing services such as healthcare and education. There were also issues when individuals travelled to other provinces without permission from PDMM. People could not afford to live in the province where they were registered, so they moved to larger cities.[48] Unauthorised departure from the province of registration without a valid excuse and travel permit results in the application for international protection is deemed withdrawn, and in judicial appeals against withdrawal decisions, economic reasons are frequently not regarded as a legitimate excuse.[49] (See: Travelling outside the “province of residence” and sanctions)
When authorities in the PDMM believe that a person fled to Türkiye for economic or medical reasons, they typically adopt a negative stance towards them. In addition, PDMM practices constantly change and even lawyers sometimes have trouble accessing the PDMM premises. The director of the Şanlıurfa PDMM was accused of bribery and corruption, according to an investigative journalism report. After the news became visible, the director lost his position and was transferred to Muş PDMM.[50]
The Izmir Bar Association’s Migration and Asylum Commission highlighted various issues and rights violations faced by foreigners and lawyers during and after international protection applications in their report. The report[51] pointed out legal irregularities and inconsistencies across different provinces, including: applications not being registered, lawyers and applicants being made to wait for long hours, lack of suitable waiting areas leading to adverse physical conditions for lawyers and vulnerable applicants, applicants being deprived of basic human rights such as education and healthcare due to not being issued international protection applicant IDs.
In 2024, 9,009 individuals applied for international protection,[52] a significant decrease when compared to the registrations in previous year (19,017 applications) potentially due to the above-mentioned difficulties, earthquakes, and deepened economic crisis. Based on this specific statistic, stakeholders emphasized that the figures are difficult to interpret, as the need for registration persists. [53].
The EU launched a project in April 2022 to be implemented during three years called ‘Reinforce Effectiveness of National Asylum Procedures in Compliance with International Standards and National Legislation’ in Türkiye under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) to support the asylum-seeking processes.[54] The expected outcomes are to strengthen and maintain the effectiveness of the procedures, to establish quality assurance for an effective and sustainable system in the procedures through the relevant principles and standards developed, to take measures to reduce vulnerability to abuses, including fraud, and to strengthen and maintain the effectiveness of resettlement procedures. The project has been supporting the PMM quality assurance board to ensure uniformity of treatment for applications in 81 cities.[55]
Applications from detention and at the border
Where an application for international protection is presented to law enforcement agencies on the territory or at the border[56], the PDMM shall be notified “at once” and shall process the application.[57] Applications for international protection indicated by persons in detention shall also be notified to the PDMM “at once”.[58] In addition to Removal Centres for pre-removal detention on territory, there is one facility in the transit zone of Ankara Esenboğa Airport, which serves to detain persons intercepted in transit or during an attempt to enter Türkiye (see Place of Detention).
Persons whose international protection application are received whilst in detention are released from the Removal Centre or police station and are issued an Administrative Surveillance Decision Form (İdari Gözetim Kararı Sonlandırma Tebliğ Formu), also known as “T6”. This form requires them to regularly report to a designated PDMM whichmay or may not be the PDMM of their province of residence (see Alternatives to Detention).[59] Due to the decreasing number of registrations and the increasing number of apprehensions, the T6 document has become the most widespread form issued to newcomers. According to stakeholders, a significant number of applicants mistakenly believe that the T6 is an official identification card issued by the Turkish authorities. While there is no formal connection between the T6 document and the international protection registration process, applicants often attempt—and NGOs frequently advise them—to seek registration in the province indicated on the T6, where they are required to report for signature duty.[60]
Despite the legal safeguards provided by the LFIP to secure access to the asylum procedure, people in Removal Centres continue to encounter some difficulties in having their applications for international protection registered by the PDMM,[61] access to asylum and legal assistance is problematic. In certain centres, there have been testimonies of mandatory signing of return forms, leading to significant rights violations.[62] Asylum seekers lack clear information about the procedures being applied to them while they are in the centres. In some Removal Centers, officials reportedly refuse to accept international protection applications on the grounds that submitting an application while under administrative detention would have negative consequences for the applicant. As such applications must be processed under the accelerated procedure—often resulting in rejection—officials decline to register the application while presenting this refusal as an act in the applicant’s best interest. In some cases where the application is accepted within the Removal Center, applicants are later released without receiving any information regarding the status or outcome of their international protection claim.[63] In İzmir (Harmandali RC), document registration numbers are not provided for applications, which makes it very difficult to follow the cases; in Van (Kurubaş RC), applications are registered however, according to stakeholders, most applicants who submit international protection claims at the Kurubaş Removal Center are referred to Harran Temporary Accommodation Center (TAC) for further processing. If they are not transferred to Harran and their application is subsequently rejected, they are less likely to be referred to a western province with a T6 document, as their international protection file remains active in Van. This situation discourages many applicants from applying initiating an application for international protection or from appealing a rejection decision, since their primary intention is often to continue their journey toward western Türkiye and ultimately, Europe. In the removal centres of İstanbul, it is nearly impossible to access to registration.[64]
According to a stakeholder, in 2025, a status determination interview was conducted inside a Removal Center in Istanbul. Reportedly, the officials responsible for conducting the interview were connected to the RC remotely via an online platform.[65]
Access to the procedure from detention also concerns persons readmitted by Türkiye. Whereas Article 64 RFIP entrusts the Ministry of Interior with the establishment of a separate framework of procedures for persons readmitted by Türkiye pursuant to readmission agreements, there has not been any such instrument regulating the access of readmitted persons to the international protection procedure to date.
In the context of the implementation of the EU-Türkiye statement between 4 April 2016 and 31 January 2020, Türkiye readmitted a total of 2,054 persons from Greece, of whom 738 originated from Pakistan, 373 from Syria, 204 from Algeria, 140 from Afghanistan, 127 from Iraq and 104 from Bangladesh.[66] PMM has established a specific code, “V89” entitled “Greece – return”, but stakeholders have not referred to this being used in practice. Readmission operations were stopped as of 16 March 2020 and Türkiye was still not accepting readmissions as of the end of 2023[67] (See the AIDA Country Report: Greece 2023). As of June 2025, the number of Syrians readmitted by Türkiye is 412.[68] Türkiye’s unilateral suspension of the return of irregular migrants from the Greek islands on public health grounds, which began in March 2020, continues.[69]
Reports on the post-return human rights situation of Syrians document serious human rights violations such as arbitrary detention and deportation without access to legal aid and international protection (see also Legal Assistance for Review of Detention).[70]
[1] Türkiye is administratively divided into 81 provinces. The provincial governorate is the highest administrative authority in each province. Therefore, provincial directorates of all government agencies report to the Office of the Governor. The agency responsible for registering all applications for international protection is the PDMM, which technically serves under the authority of the Provincial Governorate.
[2] Article 65(1) LFIP.
[3] Article 65(3) LFIP.
[4] Article 65(1) RFIP.
[5] Article 65(2) RFIP.
[6] Article 65(1) RFIP.
[7] Article 69(1) LFIP.
[8] Article 70(2) LFIP.
[9] UNHCR, ‘TÜRKİYE 2021 Operational Highlights’, 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3rwWHGT.
[10] Information provided by a stakeholder, April 2023.
[11] Article 70(4) RFIP.
[12] Article 66(2) RFIP.
[13] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2025
[14] Fabrizio Foschini, ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: No good options for Afghans travelling to and from Turkey’, 16 May 2022, available here & Information provided by stakeholders, March – April 2024.
[15] Information provided by stakeholders, March- April 2025.
[16] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2023 & Information provided by stakeholders, March- April 2024.& Information provided by stakeholders April-May 2025.
[17] Information provided by stakeholders April 2025.
[18] Information provided by stakeholders, March- April 2024.
[19] Information provided by stakeholders, April 2025.
[20] Article 69(2)-(4) LFIP.
[21] Article 69(2) LFIP; Article 69(4) RFIP.
[22] Article 69(3) LFIP; Article 69(3) RFIP.
[23] Article 69(6) LFIP.
[24] Article 70(5) RFIP.
[25] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2023.
[26] Article 65(5) RFIP.
[27] Article 70(6) RFIP.
[28] Article 70(7) RFIP.
[29] Article 76(1) LFIP, as amended by Article 35 Law No 7148 of 18 October 2018.
[30] Article 76(1) LFIP, as amended by Article 81 Law No 7196 of 24 December 2019.
[31] Article 76(2) LFIP.
[32] Article 76(1) LFIP, as amended by Article 81 Law No 7196 of 24 December 2019.
[33] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2025.
[34] Information provided by stakeholders, March – April 2024 and May 2025.
[35] Ikamet, Türkiye Closes 781 Neighborhoods to Foreigners, Addresses, May 22, available in English here
[36] PMM, ‘Mahalle Kapatma Duyurusu hk.’, 30 June 2022, available in Turkish at: https://bit.ly/44zWSQk.
[37] PMM, “İstanbul’da 39 İlçenin Yabancıların İkamet İzinlerine Kapatıldığı” İddialarına İlişkin Basın Açıklaması, 16 July 2023, available here
[38] Information provided by stakeholders, March, April and May 2025.
[39] Information provided by stakeholders, March – April 2024.
[40] Information provided by stakeholders, March – April 2024.
[41] Information provided by stakeholders, May 2025
[42] Information provided by stakeholders, March – April 2024.
[43] Information provided by a stakeholder in April 2024
[44] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2023.
[45] Information provided by a stakeholder, April 2025
[46] Information provided by stakeholders, March – April 2024.
[47] T24, Uluslararası koruma başvurusu yapmak için göç idaresine gitti, alıkonuldu, 02.05.2025
[48] Information provided by various stakeholders, May-June 2023
[49] For further analysis, see; Gamze Ovacık, Turkish Judicial Practices on International Protection, Removal and Administrative Detention in Connection with the Safe Third Country Concept (On İki Levha Publications 2021) 112-120.
[50] Gazete Duvar, ‘Şanlıurfa İl Göç İdaresi’nde neler oluyor?’, 11 July 2022, available in Turkish here.
[51] Uluslararası Koruma Başvurusu Sırasında Yabancıların ve Avukatların Yaşadığı Sorunlar ve Yaşanan Hak İhlalleri İle İlgili Rapor Hazırlandı, available here.
[52] PMM, Statistics, 2024, available here
[53] Information provided by a stakeholder, April 2025.
[54] PMM, 1 April 2022, ‘Ulusal İltica Prosedürlerinin Etkinliğinin Kuvvetlendirilmesine İlişkin Projenin Açılış Toplantısı Gerçekleştirildi’, available in Turkish here & UNHRC, 31.03.2022, Press Release: Reinforce Effectiveness of National Asylum Procedures in Compliance with International Standards and National Legislation
[55] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ‘Ulusal Sığınma Prosedürlerinin Etkinliğinin Uluslararası Standartlar ve Ulusal Mevzuata Uygun Olarak Kuvvetlendirilmesi ‘, 14 October 2022, available in Turkish here
[56] In Türkiye, while National Police exercises law enforcement duties in residential areas and at border gates, the gendarmerie exercises police duties outside the residential areas.
[57] Article 65(2) LFIP.
[58] Article 65(5) LFIP.
[59] Information provided by a stakeholder, February 2019.
[60] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2025
[61] Information provided by multiple stakeholders, May 2023.
[62] Information provided by multiple stakeholders, March – April 2024.
[63] Information provided by a stakeholder May 2025
[64] Information provided by multiple stakeholders, April 2025.
[65] Information provided by a stakeholder, May 2025.
[66] UNHCR, Returns from Greece to Türkiye, 31 January 2020, available here.
[67] International Rescue Committee, ‘What is the EU-Türkiye deal?,’ 18 March 2021, available here.
[68] Information provided by a stakeholder, June 2023.
[69] European Comission, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT, Türkiye 2024 Report, 30.10.2024, available here
[70] Daily News, ‘Greek forces pushback dozens of Syrian refugees into Turkey’, 31 May 2022, available here.