As discussed in International Protection: Naturalisation, citizenship may be granted through: (a) the normal procedure, following 5 years of residence; (b) marriage to a Turkish citizen; (c) having a Turkish descent; (d) adoption; or (e) the exceptional circumstances procedure.
Time spent in Türkiye under a Temporary Protection Identification Document may not be interpreted to count towards the fulfilment of the requirement of 5 years uninterrupted legal residence as a precondition in applications for Turkish citizenship. Temporary protection beneficiaries who arrived after 2011 can only access naturalisation through marriage to a Turkish citizen or through the exceptional circumstances procedure. Citizenship under exceptional circumstances is granted on the basis of certain profiles and criteria such as skills which could contribute to Türkiye. Generally, in practice citizenship is granted to highly qualified Syrians, having work permit or studying in a university, although other categories can also obtain it.[1] The process to acquire citizenship is not clear.
The Ministry of Interior stated on 19 December 2022 that there were 223,881 naturalised Syrians in Türkiye and on 15 April 2023 that 130,914 of them would vote in the 2023 elections.[2] This number was previously announced as 120,133 on 19 August 2022.[3] As of December 2023, 238,055 Syrian nationals under temporary protection have exceptionally acquired Turkish citizenship, 156,987 of them over age of 18[4].
The legal status of children born in Türkiye has been extensively debated. As of July 2023, it was reported that 754,000 children born in Türkiye[5]. There are no available statistics on the number of non-Syrian children.[6] Türkiye is not a party to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness or the 1997 European Convention on Nationality. Stakeholders have expressed concerns that Türkiye does not currently provide these children unconditional birth-right citizenship and that the Regulation on Temporary Protection does not include time spent in Türkiye under temporary protection towards the five years’ uninterrupted legal residence as a precondition for applications for Turkish citizenship by naturalisation. In addition, nationality legislation in Syria does not guarantee women the right to transmit their Syrian nationality to their children. This with the loss of documentation due to the Syrian conflict; and the lack of birth-right citizenship in Türkiye combine to deny the children’s right to a nationality and create the risk of statelessness for children born to Syrian refugees in Türkiye.[7]
Despite the difficulties, more new-born Syrians become Turkish citizens every year. As of December 2023, 100,633 children had been granted Turkish citizenship.[8]
[1] Information provided by various stakeholders, May and June 2023.
[2] Multeciler, Turkiyedeki Suriyel Sayisi, 20 June 2023, available here
[3] Obianet, ‘News List’, 2023, available here
[4] DW, İçişleri Bakanı: 238 bin 55 Suriyeli Türk vatandaşı oldu, 17.12.2023.
[5] BSHA, Bakan Koca, “754 Bin Suriyeli Bebeğimiz Dünyaya Geldi”, 7.7.2023, available here
[6] Obianet, ‘News List’, 2023, available here
[7] Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion and the European Network on Statelessness, Joint Submission to the Human Rights Council at the 35th Session of the Universal Periodic Review, (Third Cycle, January 2020), Türkiye, July 2019 page 6, available here
[8] DW, İçişleri Bakanı: 238 bin 55 Suriyeli Türk vatandaşı oldu, 17.12.2023.