Turkey: Possible restrictions imposed upon Kurds or Alevis in respect of obtaining a Turkish passport (October 2001-April 2005)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 29 April 2005 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR43472.E |
| Reference | 7 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Possible restrictions imposed upon Kurds or Alevis in respect of obtaining a Turkish passport (October 2001-April 2005), 29 April 2005, TUR43472.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/42df61a520.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In 25 April 2005 correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, in Ottawa, indicated that all Turkish citizens are equal under the law and must follow the same procedures in order to obtain a passport, "regardless of their religion, ethnicity or background." Similarly, an immigration counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara indicated that there were no restrictions on the issuance of passports to any minorities in Turkey (27 Apr. 2005).
On 8 April 2005, an assistant professor of Islamic studies at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, stated that he was not aware of any reports by state or non-governmental organizations that indicated any formal discrimination specifically against Alevis or Kurds with regard to the issuance of passports in Turkey. The Assistant Professor further stated that he was also unaware of any informal restrictions imposed upon Kurds or Alevis in respect of obtaining a Turkish passport.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies. 8 April 2005. Hofstra University. Hempstead, NY. Correspondence.
Embassy of Canada in Ankara. 27 April 2005. Correspondence from an immigration counsellor.
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa. 25 April 2005. Correspondence from the First Secretary.
Additional Sources Consulted
The American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN), Washington, DC did not respond to a letter requesting information.
The Washington Kurdish Institute (WKI), Washington, DC did not respond to a letter requesting information.
Internet sites, including: Al Bawaba, Amnesty International (AI), BBC, Dunya Online, European Union, Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Helsinki Federation (IHF), Turkish Daily News, Turkishnews.net, Turkishpress.com, United States Department of State, World News Connection (WNC).
