Türkiye sees growing Uzbek expat community amid surging regional migration

The recently released data includes a list of all foreign nationals residing in Türkiye with valid residence permits. As of now, the total number of foreign residents in Türkiye has surpassed 1.7 million.

The top nationalities among residence permit holders are:

• Turkmenistan – 122,000
• Azerbaijan – 85,300
• Russia – 81,400
• Iran – 76,400
• Syria – 73,000
• Iraq – 67,400
• Uzbekistan – 58,400

Meanwhile, according to Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee, 22,500 Turkish citizens visited Uzbekistan for tourism and other purposes in January–February 2025.

This figure marks a 57.8% increase (or 8,300 more visitors) compared to the same period last year.

Breakdown of Turkish citizens' visits to Uzbekistan during January–February 2025:

• Business-related visits – 9,396
• Tourism – 6,884
• Visiting relatives – 6,069
• Commercial purposes – 92
• Education – 68
• Medical treatment – 11