CAN CHILDREN BORN IN TURKEY BECOME TURKISH CITIZENS?

ARTICLE 6 – (1) Turkish citizenship acquired by birth is automatically acquired on the basis of lineage or place of birth. Citizenship acquired by birth takes effect from the moment of birth.

Language ties

ARTICLE 7 – (1) A child born in or out of Turkey to a Turkish citizen mother or father in a marriage union is a Turkish citizen.

(2) A child born out of wedlock to a Turkish citizen mother and a foreign father is a Turkish citizen.

(3) A child born outside the marriage union of a Turkish citizen father and a foreign mother acquires Turkish citizenship if the procedures and principles that ensure the establishment of lineage are fulfilled.

Place of birth

ARTICLE 8 – (1) A child who was born in Turkey and could not acquire citizenship of any country by birth due to foreign parents is a Turkish citizen from birth.

(2) A child who has been in Turkey is deemed to have been born in Turkey unless otherwise proven.

ACQUISITION OF CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH

Turkish citizenship acquired by birth is the citizenship acquired at the time of birth and becomes effective from the moment of birth upon notification.

The acquisition of Turkish citizenship by birth is based on lineage or place of birth.

1.1. Acquiring Turkish Citizenship by Lineage

Citizenship acquired by lineage means the acquisition of citizenship of a Turkish citizen mother or father to whom the child is related by lineage at the time of birth.

For the child to acquire Turkish citizenship through lineage, it is sufficient for only one of the parents to be a Turkish citizen at the time of birth of the child. The fact that one of the parents is a foreign citizen or the child was born in a country other than Turkey does not prevent the acquisition of Turkish citizenship.

Children born out of wedlock:

• If the main Turkish citizen is from the moment of birth,

• If the father is a Turkish citizen, they become Turkish citizens upon recognition of paternity or a paternity decision in court.