Turkey: Information on whether a Christian born in Urfu in 1931 who fled Turkey in 1935 would today be considered a citizen of Turkey, if the person had acquired no other citizenship; and the process to follow if the person has no proof of birth in Turkey
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR16896.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Information on whether a Christian born in Urfu in 1931 who fled Turkey in 1935 would today be considered a citizen of Turkey, if the person had acquired no other citizenship; and the process to follow if the person has no proof of birth in Turkey, 1 April 1994, TUR16896.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac7c1c.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. |
According to an official of the embassy of Turkey in Ottawa, a person born in Turkey has to prove to the authorities upon demand, in one way or other, that the birth took place in Turkey (6 Apr. 1994). The burden of proof will require that the person provides birth registration information containing the name, address, date of birth and names of parents. If such information cannot be produced, the information concerning at least one of the parents should be made available to Turkish authorities in Ankara. If the person lives outside of Turkey, the information should be sent to the nearest Turkish mission.
Without proof of any of the above-mentioned documents, the authorities cannot confirm the person's or parent's birth in Turkey. Under such circumstances, a person cannot be granted Turkish nationality either by reason of her/his birth in Turkey or by birth to a parent of Turkish origin. According to the official, the option left for such an individual is to apply for Turkish citizenship through naturalization. For details on acquiring Turkish nationality through naturalization, please refer to the attachment.
The official further explained that one does not have to be born in Turkey in order to be a Turkish citizen. Having a parent of Turkish origin is enough for the children to be Turkish citizens. Dual nationality is also recognized and accepted by Turkey (ibid.). According to the official, to his knowledge, the law on Turkish nationality has not changed since 1964. For further details on this law, please refer to the attachment. The DIRB is unable to corroborate the information of the embassy of Turkey at the present time.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, Ottawa. 6 April 1994. Telephone interview with official.
Attachments
Flanz, Gisbert H. April 1984. "Turkey." Constitutions of the Countries of the World. Edited by Albert P. Blaustein and Gisbert H. Flanz. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications Inc, p. 6, pp. 23-24.
Official Gazette No. 11638. 22 February 1964. Law on Turkish Nationality. Ankara: Government of Turkey.
