What is a Blue Card?
It is the official document given to those who are Turkish citizens by birth but lose their citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, and their descendants specified in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, in order to benefit from some of the rights granted to Turkish citizens.
Blue Card History
The fact that dual citizenship is not recognized, especially in European countries, and that Turkish citizens 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, brought along various problems. Since people who are allowed to renounce their Turkish citizenship, their records in the civil registry are closed and they are treated as foreigners, they only become foreigners in their own country and can benefit from various rights to the extent that the laws give to foreigners. Being a foreigner in their own country in many social, economic and cultural aspects brings with it different problems. On the other hand, the fact that Turkish citizens abroad do not choose the citizenship of the country they are in because of necessity, this time leads to the loss of their rights in that country. In order to solve these two problems, the need to make some arrangements in the Law No. 403 in 1995 arose.
The first regulation made with the Law No. 4112 Amending the Turkish Citizenship Law (Official Gazette: 12.6.1995 No: 22311, Acceptance Date: 7.6.1995), known as " Pink Card " due to the color of the document that was formerly named ; “Foreign treatment and reserved rights” are regulated as follows.
Article 29 - Persons who have lost their Turkish citizenship in accordance with this Law are subject to foreign treatment starting from the date of loss. However, persons who acquired Turkish citizenship by birth and subsequently acquired a foreign state citizenship by obtaining permission from the Council of Ministers and their legal heirs, without prejudice to the provisions regarding the national security and public order of the Republic of Turkey, residence, travel, work, inheritance, movable They continue to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish Citizens in matters such as the acquisition and transfer of immovable property. The provisions of Articles 33 and 35 are reserved. (Repealed Turkish Citizenship Law No. 403 / Article: 29, regulation dated 7.6.1995)
In the regulation made with the Law No. 5203 Amending the Turkish Citizenship Law No.
Article 29 - Persons who have lost their Turkish citizenship pursuant to this Law are subject to foreign treatment starting from the date of loss. However; Without prejudice to the provisions regarding the national security and public order of the Republic of Turkey, the acquired rights regarding social security, excluding the obligation to perform military service and the right to elect and be elected, to enter public duties and to import vehicles or household goods, are reserved, and the use of these rights is subject to the provisions of the relevant laws. They continue to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish citizens, provided that they are subject to it. The provisions of Articles 33 and 35 of the Law are reserved. (Repealed Turkish Citizenship Law No. 403 / Article: 29, regulation dated 29/06/2004)
Due to the enactment of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 in 2009, the provision regarding Blue Cards was re-arranged by removing the restrictions in the former Law. (Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Official Gazette: 12.06.2009 Number: 27256, Adoption Date: 29.05.2009)
Rights granted to persons who lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining a leave of absence
ARTICLE 28- (1) Those who are Turkish citizens by birth but lose their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave and their children who are processed with them; Without prejudice to the provisions regarding national security and public order, the acquired rights regarding social security are reserved, except for the obligation to perform military service, the right to elect and be elected, to enter public duties, and to import vehicles or household goods with exemption, provided that the use of these rights is subject to the provisions of the relevant laws. They continue to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish citizens. (Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Article: 28, regulation made in 2009)
With the new regulation made in 2012, much more detailed regulations were made in the Law No. 5901, and the Blue Cards Register was created with the Population Services Law No. 5490. Law No. 6304 Amending the Law on Basic Provisions of Elections and Electoral Registers and Some Laws, (Official Gazette: 18.05.2012 No: 28296, Accepted: 09.05.2012)
Rights granted to persons who lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining a leave of absence
Article 28 – (Amended: 9.5.2012-6304/14 art.)
(1) Those who are Turkish citizens by birth but lose their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave and their descendants up to the third degree continue to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish citizens, except for the exceptions specified in this article. Provisions regarding national security and public order are reserved.
(2) Persons within the scope of this article do not have the right to elect and be elected, to import vehicles or household goods with exemption, and to do their military service. The acquired rights of these persons regarding social security are reserved and they are subject to the provisions of the relevant laws in the use of these rights.
(3) Persons within the scope of this article cannot hold primary and permanent public service duties based on a staff and subject to the public law regime. However, they can be employed as workers, temporary or contracted personnel in public institutions and organizations.
(4) If the Council of Ministers deems necessary, it may determine to what degree descendants from the third degree can benefit from the rights recognized in this article.
(5) The descendants who will benefit from the provisions of this article must certify the lineage between their descendants and their descendants.
(6) Blue Card is issued to persons covered by this article, showing that they can benefit from the rights set forth in this article upon their request. This Card is within the scope of Valuable Papers Law No. 210 dated 21/2/1963.
(7) In order to exercise the rights provided by this article, the submission of the Blue Card is sufficient. In case the card cannot be presented, the transaction is carried out with the registration sample to be 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 nationality is located. In case of a change in the identity information of these persons, it is obligatory to submit the document showing the old and new identity information obtained from the state authority to which they are nationals, together with the duly certified Turkish translation.
(8) Persons within the scope of this article are given an identification number within the framework of the principles to be determined by the Ministry. This identification number is used in places where the Republic of Turkey identification number is sought.
(9) The procedures and principles regarding the issuance and distribution of the Blue Card and the keeping of the Blue Card Register in electronic environment are determined by the Ministry.
(10) Public institutions and organizations take all kinds of measures and make the necessary arrangements in order to implement the provisions of this article.
Population Services Law No. 5490
Registration of Blue Card holders
(1) Those who are Turkish citizens by birth but lose their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave and their descendants specified in Article 28 of Law No. 5901 are registered in the Blue Card Holders Register kept electronically by the General Directorate. Those registered in this Register are obliged to declare all kinds of population events to the civil registration offices in the country and to the foreign representatives abroad. (Article 8/A of Population Services Law No. 5490 – (Annex: 9/5/2012-6304/12 art.)