Bolat & Köse Office of Advocacy and Mediation

Law on Foreigners

Law on Foreigners is the regime that foreigners in a country are subjected to just because they are foreigners. Turkish Law on Foreigners examines the restrictions and rights of foreigners due to being foreigners in the Republic of Turkey.

Foreigners are people who do not have the citizenship of the state they stay in. Citizens of other states, heimatlos, refugees, and asylum seekers are foreigners.

According to the 1951 International Refugee Convention, only those coming from European countries are refugees. Those coming from Syria are not refugees, they are asylum seekers since they are not covered by the contract. The legal status of asylum seekers is regulated by a separate regulation.

Immigration is regulated in the Settlement Law. If foreign nationals of Turkish descent and who are related to the Turkish culture come to settle in Turkey, they are subject to an easy naturalization procedure and are accepted as immigrants. The issue of who the immigrants can be is a political decision.

Minorities are not foreigners. Citizenship is not an ethnic classification.
There should be no restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms between citizens and foreigners.

The general principle in relation to foreigners is equality. Unless specifically stated, it is assumed that no restrictions are imposed on foreigners. Restriction can only be brought by law. In any event, this restriction must be in accordance with international law.

Reciprocity means that in order for a right to be granted to foreigners, the state of which the foreigner is a citizen must grant the said right to Turkish citizens.

Services provided by our offices are listed below:

Due to the protection of the hidden rights of foreigners living in Turkey from international private law and agreements which the Republic of Turkey is a party, legal consultancy services in Turkish, English, German and French are provided in Bolat&Köse Law and Mediation Office for filing the necessary lawsuits and following the litigation processes and concluding them.