Can Syrian refugees in Turkey benefit from amendment to citizenship law?
The Turkish decision to ease some requirements to apply for Turkish citizenship will not help a large number of Syrian refugees in Turkey as they cannot meet the conditions required.
ALEPPO, Syria — The Turkish government issued Sept. 19 a decision to amend the eligibility requirements for foreigners applying for Turkish citizenship. The amendment includes several encouraging provisions for investors and expats to apply for citizenship.
The decision sparked wide controversy among Syrian refugees in Turkey, as some consider the requirements impossible to meet and believe they target businessmen and investors, who only constitute a small fraction of Syrian refugees residing in Turkey.
As per the amendment, foreigners can now acquire Turkish citizenship when they purchase real estate worth more than $250,000, as opposed to the minimum of $1 million set previously, provided that the property is not sold for three years.
Another amendment is the deposit of a certain amount in a bank operating in Turkey; the capital value to be invested has been reduced from $3 million to $500,000. In addition, the minimum fixed capital investment amount of $2 million has been reduced to $500,000 as a condition to obtain Turkish citizenship.
