Military service for foreigners who obtain Turkish citizenship
Military service in Turkey for holders of Turkish citizenship is a national duty. Thus, there is a military obligation for those who obtained Turkish citizenship. However, there are some exceptions. And in this article from Ebla Real Estate, we will talk about the military service for foreigners who obtain Turkish citizenship.
Military service law in Turkey:
Serving in the military has an important place in Turkish culture. As service done for the country’s benefit is highly respected amongst the public.
Turkish law stipulates that foreigners who obtain Turkish citizenship will have the right to obtain the rights as Turkish citizens. Thus, they will be obligated to abide by all laws including the military service law.
Article 2 of the Turkish Military Service Act No. 1111 states that: Those who have Turkish citizenship from foreigners and refugees and those who are not legally displaced are classified according to the age at which they obtain Turkish citizenship. Thus, people who became Turkish citizens are subject to the same legislation and formation in their military service as people who were born as Turkish citizens.
Moreover, according to the military service law, there are some exemptions for foreigners who obtain Turkish citizenship as we will see through this article.
It is worth noting that there is an allowance for military service in Turkey, estimated at about 31,000 Turkish liras. And the amount of the allowance may change with any amendment of military laws.
The age limit to perform the military service in Turkey:
In all countries of the world, there is a fixed age to perform military service. In Turkey, the age limit for military service is 21 years, according to the law published in the Official Gazette on 22 February 2014. Men who turn 21 years are automatically called to serve in the Turkish military every year in February.
However, for foreigners who obtain Turkish citizenship, if they acquire Turkish citizenship at the age of 22 years or over, they are exempted from military service. Thus, if this date was before the age of 22.. They shall be deemed obliged to perform military service in Turkey.
It is worth noting that foreigners who obtain citizenship as “migrants”, the date of their entry into Turkey shall be considered.
Exemption from military service in Turkey for foreigners who obtain Turkish citizenship:
- If people who are citizens of other countries served their military service in their origin country. And they can prove that with the required documents. They will be deemed to be exempted.
- Moreover, people who have obtained citizenship at the age of 22 years old or older, are exempted from military service
- In addition, people who suffer from various health conditions are exempted from military service if such conditions are supported by documents and accepted by the government.
Postponing military service in Turkey for foreigners who acquired Turkish citizenship:
In some cases, the military service could be postponed, including:
- Students of schools, institutes and universities or graduates, provided that they do not exceed the specified age.
- People suffering from chronic disease until they recover from their illness.
- Prisoners until finishing their term.
- In addition, anyone who engages in scientific research or has a talent that he is working to develop can benefit from a postponement up to the age of 35.
Edited by: Ebla Group Real Estate
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