According to the online application system (e-residence) providing foreigners with initial residence permits, renewals and status changes, in 2017, the number of residence permits held by foreigners in Turkey increased by 29% to almost 600 000. As of 22 February 2018, this number stood at 627 000. The main origin countries in 2017 were Iraq (70 000) and Syria (65 000), followed by Azerbaijan (49 000) and Turkmenistan (41 000). The number of permits doubled between 2015 and 2017 for citizens of Iraq, Syria and Turkmenistan.
The main residence permit category is the short-term one, which represented around two-thirds of the total in 2017 (383 000). 86% of the permits held by Iraqis and 76% of those held by Syrians fell into this group. The second largest category of permits were granted for family reasons (68 000), followed by student permits (63 000). Azerbaijan was the top nationality of permit holders for these two categories. The Ministry for Labour and Social Security delivers work permits, and since 2015, these also serve as residence permits. The number of issues of such permits is also on the rise and reached 87 200 in 2017 (+25% compared to 2015).
Higher education institutions in Turkey have seen a growing number of international student enrolments. In 2016/17 there were 108 000 international tertiary students in Turkey, up 23% compared to the previous school year and double the figure of 2013/14. Syria and Azerbaijan were the main countries of origin, with 15 000 students each. Turkmenistan followed with 10 000 students, while Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq were the other countries with more than 5 000 tertiary students enrolled. At a lower level, the most recent data show that there were 166 500 Syrian students enrolled in state schools and 293 000 students attending classes in temporary education centres in 2016.
Between 2008 and 2013, the number of workers sent abroad by the Turkish Employment Agency remained at an overall average of 55 000 people; this declined to around 40 000 people in 2014 and to 24 000 in 2016, a 50% drop in only a few years. In 2016, the top three destination countries were Iraq (17%), Algeria (16%) and Saudi Arabia (8.5%). According to the World Bank, remittances to Turkey declined again in 2017 (-4% to USD 1.1 billion), albeit at a slower pace than previously (-20% in 2015 and -15% in 2016).
The Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) under the Ministry of Interior has authority to carry out functions and activities related to entry, stay and exit of foreigners as well as removal, international protection, temporary protection and protection of victims of human trafficking.
As of 22 February 2018, according to the DGMM there were more than 3.5 million registered Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey, of whom almost 1 million were children under 10. The Syrian population residing in camps administered by the “Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority” declined slightly since 2016, and stood at around 230 000 in February 2018. Most Syrians reside in border provinces, where they account for up to a quarter of the provincial population, as in Şanlıurfa and Hatay provinces for example. However, the main destination region of Syrians is the province of Istanbul, where more than half a million of them reside (3.7% of the provincial population).
In March 2017, the regulations implementing the Turquoise Card for highly qualified foreigners were published. The Turquoise Card is granted to foreigners with qualifying levels of education, occupational experience and contribution to the technology, employment and economy of Turkey. The equivalent of a permanent work permit, it allows accompanying family to join.
The issue of facilitating the naturalisation process of foreigners, including the Syrians under temporary protection, was of critical importance in 2016/17. A regulation enacted in January 2017 aims to attract foreign investors, offering citizenship to those buying real estate in Turkey worth at least USD 1 million, under the condition that the property is not sold for at least three years. The regulation also extended the possibility of naturalisation to foreigners who had at least USD 3 million deposited in Turkey provided that it is not withdrawn for three years. This new regulation aimed in particular at increasing the number of property sales, which fell in 2016.
In July 2017, the government submitted a new proposal to amend the Population Services Law aimed at streamlining residency and citizenship regulations for foreign nationals. According to the proposed amendment, foreigners who were granted residence would be registered in the registry of foreigners by providing their ID numbers to the Ministry of the Interior. The law would require those seeking naturalisation not to leave Turkey for a period of more than nine months during their application process.
