Turkey: Follow-up to TUR37716.E of 6 September 2001 on possible restrictions on Kurds or Alevis obtaining Turkish passports and TUR37719.E of 12 September 2001 on security measures/controls at airports
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 12 October 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR37948.E |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Follow-up to TUR37716.E of 6 September 2001 on possible restrictions on Kurds or Alevis obtaining Turkish passports and TUR37719.E of 12 September 2001 on security measures/controls at airports, 12 October 2001, TUR37948.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4beb54.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. |
The following information, dated 28 September 2001, was provided to the Research Directorate on 2 October 2001, via Citizenship and Immigration Canada, by the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
Turkish passport applications do not make reference to religion or religious affiliation and it is not believed that Kurds and Alevis experience any difficulties obtaining Turkish passports. If such were there case, other minorities such as Armenians, Greeks and Jews, who can be readily identified by their last names, would have voiced complaints.
Regarding Turkish border crossings, exit controls exist at international airports in Turkey and international passengers must pass through exit formalities administered by the passport police at either their airport of departure or Istanbul. Every individual is supposed to be checked against a mainframe database, which also flags people who are wanted by the police. Extensive criminal record checks are not included in the basic exit procedure. To the best of the Canadian Embassy's knowledge, although criminal record databases may be accessible from some airport offices, they are not networked to the database used at the exit gates.
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 to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Canadian Embassy. Ankara. 28 September 2001. Correspondence received, via Citizenship and Immigration Canada, on 2 October 2001.
