Turkey: Whether the section in the Turkish passport pertaining to military service is left blank or has a horizontal line to indicate the holder has been granted a deferment of military service for academic purposes; whether this section contains a military registration number (TC Kimlik No.) that is cross-checked in a computer database by Turkish authorities at ports of entry; if so, whether this database contains detailed reasons for the deferment
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 24 February 2009 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR103062.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Whether the section in the Turkish passport pertaining to military service is left blank or has a horizontal line to indicate the holder has been granted a deferment of military service for academic purposes; whether this section contains a military registration number (TC Kimlik No.) that is cross-checked in a computer database by Turkish authorities at ports of entry; if so, whether this database contains detailed reasons for the deferment, 24 February 2009, TUR103062.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4a7040a023.html [accessed 4 June 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 a 30 January 2009 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a consular official at the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa provided the following information. The fact that the section in the Turkish passport pertaining to military service is left blank or has a horizontal line in it, does not definitively indicate whether the holder has completed his military service, but rather that the completion of military service has not been confirmed (Turkey 30 Jan. 2009). There is no significance to the horizontal line; some officials choose to draw a line in this section while others prefer to leave it blank (ibid.). The Consular Official added that the Turkish passport does not contain the military number of the bearer, only an identification number that is required of all Turks (ibid.). However, citing a 2003 report by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) states the following about identity documents and military service without specifically mentioning passports:
Monitoring of draft evasion and desertion is strict. The registration of conscripts is, in fact, one of the most effective government registrations in Turkey. Draft evaders and deserters may be arrested after routine checks such as traffic control. They are not able to leave Turkey, as the military registration number is included on identity documents. In addition, police and [gendarme] authorities are responsible for finding draft evaders and deserters and may conduct house searches and arrest them. (QCEA Apr. 2005)
The Consular Official provided further details during a 13 February 2009 telephone interview with the Research Directorate. In order to obtain a new passport, Turkish men between the ages of 20 and 38 years must demonstrate compliance with the country's military service law (Turkey 13 Feb. 2009). Men over the mandatory military service age are not required to show proof of military service in order to obtain a Turkish passport (ibid.). However, a man who has completed his military service must submit a "Document of Completion of Military Service" in order to obtain a passport; a passport officer might indicate that military service has been completed by writing yapmistir (done) in this section (ibid.). The word yapmamistir (not done) might appear in the passport of a Turkish student studying abroad who has obtained a deferment of military service (ibid.). According to a 2001 report published by the Netherlands Directorate for Movements of Persons, Migration and Consular Affairs regarding military service in Turkey, "[p]ersons who have obtained a deferment of their enlistment in military service receive a written statement to that effect from the military registration office (Netherlands 1 July 2001, Sec. 5.1)
In newer passports, the bar code is electronically linked to the holder's file, which includes information on his military service (Turkey 13 Feb. 2009). As such, border control officials do not need to look inside a passport to determine whether a holder has completed his military service, as this information is available electronically (ibid.). The Consular Official added that if a person was found to be avoiding military service, he may be detained by border control officials (ibid.).
According to the Operational Guidance Note on Turkey published by the United Kingdom Home Office on 2 October 2008, police and gendarmes (but not customs officers) at Turkish ports of entry have access to an electronic database known as a General Information Gathering System (Genel Bilgi Toplama Sistemi, GBTS), which "lists extensive personal data such as ... avoidance of military service, desertion" (UK 2 Oct. 2008, Sec. 3.11.2-3.11.4). Furthermore, the Operational Guidance Note goes on to state that "[t]hose who appear on the GBTS computer system are likely to come to the attention of the authorities" (ibid., Sec. 3.11.12).
Further or corroborating information on the military service section of the Turkish passport could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
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 sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Netherlands. 1 July 2001. Directorate for Movements of Persons, Migration and Consular Affairs, Asylum and Migration Division. "Turkey/Military Service." (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA). April 2005. "Country Report: Turkey." The Right to Conscientious Objection in Europe: A Review of the Current Situation.
Turkey. 13 February 2009. Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa. Telephone interview with a consular official.
_____. 30 January 2009. Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa. Telephone interview with a consular official.
United Kingdom (UK). 2 October 2008. Home Office. Operational Guidance Note: Turkey.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI); Aviationsecuritynews.com; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) ; Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers; Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Washington, DC; Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa; European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net); Factiva; Human Rights Watch (HRW); Hurriyet [Istanbul]; International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF); Istanbul International Ataturk Airport; Travel Information Manual (TIM); Turkish Ministry of Defense; Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Turkish Ministry of Interior; United States Department of State; War Resisters' International (WRI).
