1- What is the purpose of Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901?

In accordance with Article 25 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, our citizens who request permission to renounce Turkish citizenship want to acquire citizenship of another state in order to have better living conditions and to benefit from economic, social and political rights in the countries where they live and work. The records of people who received permission to renounce Turkish citizenship were closed in the civil registry and they were treated as foreigners, so they could only benefit from the rights granted to foreigners by Turkish law. For this reason, our citizens were losing their vested rights that they had gained in Turkey. Here, with the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, which came into force on 29/05/2009 and was amended by Law No. 6304, the scope of the rights that our citizens living abroad will benefit from in accordance with Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 has been expanded.

2- What is the Blue Card?
It is the official document given to those who were Turkish citizens by birth but lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, and their descendants specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, showing that they can benefit from the rights specified in the said article.

3- What is the Blue Card Holders Registry?
It is the registry where the records of those who were Turkish citizens by birth but lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave and their descendants specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 are kept electronically.

4- Who can register to the Blue Card Holders Registry?
Those who were Turkish citizens by birth but lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, and Turkish citizens numbered 5901
Descendants specified in Article 28 of the Citizenship Law can register.

5- Will my ID number change when I register to the Blue Card Holders Registry?
The records of people who were Turkish citizens by birth and who lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, registered in the MERNIS database, are transferred to the Blue Card Holders Registry without changing the Republic of Turkey identification number.
The descendants of the person registered in the Blue Card Holders Register, who are not Turkish citizens and specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, are recorded in the Blue Card Holders Register, if they apply, and these people are given a foreigners identification number.

6- What are the rights granted to people registered in the Blue Card Holders Register?
Those who were Turkish citizens by birth but lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, and their descendants specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, continue to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish citizens, except for the exceptions specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. Provisions regarding national security and public order are reserved.
Persons registered in the Blue Card Holders Register do not have the right to elect and be elected, the right to import vehicles or household goods with exemption, and the obligation to perform military service. The acquired rights of these people regarding social security are reserved and they are subject to the provisions of the relevant laws in the use of these rights.
Persons registered in the Blue Card Holders Register cannot hold essential and permanent public service positions based on a permanent staff and subject to the public law regime. However, they can be employed as workers, temporary or contracted personnel in public institutions and organizations.

7- Who benefits from the Blue Card?
People registered in the Blue Card Holders Register can benefit from the rights provided by the Blue Card.

8- Who cannot benefit from the Blue Card?
Those who do not fall within the scope of Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 are not given the document in question and cannot benefit from such a document.

9- How to request a Blue Card?
The application for the Blue Card is made by submitting an identity document or passport issued by the foreign country authorities, along with 2 photographs attached to the petition. Other than this, no other documents are requested.

10- Which authorities issue the Blue Card?
It is given upon individual request. District civil registry offices in the country and foreign representative offices abroad are authorized to issue this document when the application is made with an identity card or passport issued by the authorities of the other country of which they are a national.

11- Is there any fee to be paid for the Blue Card?
Since the Blue Card is within the scope of the Valuable Papers Law No. 210 dated 21/2/1963, the valuable papers fee determined by the Ministry of Finance is requested every year.

12- In what cases is it possible to change the Blue Card?
Blue card; It is possible to issue the application in accordance with Article 9 due to birth, new registration, renewal, replacement or loss by the application authorities specified in Article 10.

13- There has been a change in my identity information (name, surname, date of birth, etc.) on my blue card. How can this be corrected?
If all forms, minutes, letters, papers and documents submitted to the civil registry offices or foreign representatives regarding the personal situations of the persons registered in the Blue Card Holders Registry are duly approved in accordance with Article 167 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Population Services Law,
Documents regarding personal status, prepared in accordance with the contract prepared and put into practice by the International Commission on Personal Status and having a certain formula and prepared in multiple languages, are accepted directly without any process for certification,
If the decisions and administrative documents taken by the persons registered in the Blue Card Holders Registry from the authorities of the country of their nationality are duly certified and approved, the transaction is carried out without requesting recognition or enforcement in accordance with the provisions of the Law on International Private Law and Procedural Law No. 5718 dated 27/11/2007. .

14- Do I have to declare changes in my civil status (marriage, divorce, etc.)?
In accordance with Article 8/A of the Population Services Law No. 5490, those registered in the Blue Card Registry are obliged to declare all kinds of population events to the district population directorates in the country and to foreign representatives abroad.

15- I had a child after I renounced Turkish citizenship. Can I register my child in the Blue Card Holders Registry?
Upon notification based on the birth certificate issued by official authorities, the child of the person registered in the Blue Card Holders Registry is recorded in the registry.
Descendants who want to be registered in the Blue Card Holders Register must document their lineage in line with the Blue Card holder's descendants.

16- Can the Blue Card be issued on behalf of children?
For children registered in the Blue Card Holders Registry, a separate document is issued on behalf of these children upon their parents' application.

17- Do I need to get a Blue Card in order to have a transaction from any institution?
Presentation of the Blue Card is sufficient to exercise the rights specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. If the card cannot be presented, the transaction is carried out with the registration sample taken from the Blue Card Holders Registry through the Identity Sharing System and the document showing the identity information given by the state authorities of which the person is a citizen. In case there is a change in the identity information of these people, it is mandatory to submit a document showing the old and new identity information obtained from the state authority of which they are a national, together with its duly certified Turkish translation.

18- Can the Blue Card be used as an identity document alone when carrying out business and transactions in official institutions?
The 7th paragraph of Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 states: "Presentation of the Blue Card is sufficient to exercise the rights provided by this article." In accordance with the provision, the new Blue Card within the scope of valuable papers can be used as an identity document.

19- Does the Blue Card have any validity period?
Blue Card does not have any validity period.

20- Even though I have a Blue Card, when I go to some institutions, I cannot have a procedure done because my identity record is closed. What is the reason of this?
The identity information of people registered in the Blue Card Holders Registry is shared with other public institutions and organizations through the Identity Sharing System (KPS). Therefore, the applied institution or organization must check its configuration in KPS services.

21- Even though I have a Blue Card, I have difficulty in getting my transactions done in some institutions. I wonder how can I solve this problem?

In the Prime Ministry circular dated 24/03/2005 and numbered 2005/6, the practices to be carried out by institutions and organizations regarding the said Law are clearly stated.
In addition, regarding the problems encountered in practice regarding the said Law, it is necessary to apply to the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities affiliated with the Prime Ministry.

22- Is there a validity period for the Blue Card Holders Population Registration Sample?
The validity period of the Blue Card Holders Population Registration Sample is 30 days.

23- Who can get the Blue Card for those over the age of 18?
Those who are over 18 years of age are given their Blue Cards or their official representative.

24- Who can get the Blue Card for those under 18 years of age?
The Blue Card for those under the age of 18 is given to the mother, father or guardian and the person authorized to notify the child to be registered in the family registry. If the marriage union is terminated by court decision; The Blue Card for the minor child is given to the parent who has custody. If the parents of a minor child are abroad or dead, the person appointed by the court as guardian is authorized to receive the child's Blue Card.

25- How long does it take to change the Blue Card?
There is no need to change Blue Cards, which have no erasures, scratches or corrections, and whose information is not in doubt. However, if the person has changed in a way that prevents the person from being recognized by the photo on his or her Blue Card, the Blue Card is changed.

26- Can I get my relatives' Blue Card?
The Blue Card Issued; It is essential for those who are adults (over the age of 18) to give it to themselves or to their official representative, and for those who are not adults, to their parents or guardians and to the person who has the authority to notify the child to register the child in the Blue Card Holders Registry.

27- I will change my Blue Card, can't I have a color photocopy?
Photocopies or computer-reproduced photographs are not accepted and processed because they lose their qualities over time.

28- Is the Blue Card fee required?
Since the Blue Card is within the scope of the Valuable Papers Law No. 210, the Blue Card fee has been determined as 10 TL for 2018 by the Ministry of Finance.

29- Is a receipt given for the amount paid for the Blue Card?
Since the Blue Card is a valuable paper bought and sold from property accounting offices in accordance with the provisions of the Valuable Papers Law No. 210 and it replaces a receipt, no receipt is given for the price received.

30- I lost my Blue Card. Is there an obligation to advertise in the newspaper and notify the police authorities?
Placing an advertisement in the newspaper and notifying the police authorities regarding the lost Blue Cards is an individual's responsibility. When a new Blue Card is received to replace the lost Blue Card, the lost Blue Card becomes legally invalid.

Please contact our law firm for legal assistance on the relevant issue to our citizens living in Germany, Switzerland and other European countries.