Turkish Citizenship By Marriage

Abstract

This article examines acquisition of Turkish citizenship by marriage under Article 16 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. It distinguishes the three-year marriage condition from residence in Turkey, explains the family-unity investigation and separate and joint interviews, and considers documentary requirements, security and public-order review, death or divorce during the application, judicial review and the effect of later divorce. Particular attention is given to the position of a spouse who became Turkish only after the marriage, domestic and overseas applications, and the difference between a citizenship refusal and the foreign spouse’s separate immigration status. The analysis emphasises that marriage creates eligibility to apply, not an automatic entitlement to citizenship, and that a strong file should be built around accurate civil-status records, a coherent chronology and genuine evidence of family life rather than rehearsed interview answers.