Social media misinterprets Erdoğan’s decree on Turkish-origin foreigners

President Erdoğan amended a 1982 decision of the Turkish Council of Ministers titled “On the free exercise of professions and crafts and employment of foreign nationals of Turkish descent in Turkey’s public and private sectors.”

Contrary to claims circulating online, this update does not mean that citizens of member states of the Organization of Turkic States can now live, study, or work in Turkey without documentation, as if they were Turkish citizens.

According to the decision, the Turkish authorities will first identify whether a foreign national is of Turkish descent, and this must be confirmed by the president’s decree. To qualify, a foreign citizen must meet all of the following conditions:

• Possess a temporary residence permit issued by the Ministry of Interior;
• Hold officially recognized professional certifications from authorized Turkish institutions;
• Have their foreign diplomas nostrified (recognized) in Turkey;
• Ensure their professional activities do not pose a threat to Turkey’s national security;
• Hold proof of membership in a professional union if such registration is mandatory;
• Provide certified documentation of vocational or artisanal skills obtained abroad;
• Have their Turkish ethnicity officially confirmed by the President;
• Be unable to practice their profession or trade in their home country for reasons beyond their control or be compelled to reside in Turkey (for instance, due to persecution in their country of residence);
• Belong to an ethnic and cultural Turkish minority in their home country (for example, Turks living in Bulgaria).

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Turkey stated that this decision does not grant citizens of Turkic states – including Uzbekistan – the right to freely work in Turkey. Employment of Uzbek citizens in Turkey remains regulated under existing national legislation.

Reports circulating on social media arose from a misinterpretation of the Turkish government’s decision.