Erdal Nuhbasa – Law and Consulting Firm – Legal Services
Erdal Nuhbasa – Law and Consulting Firm – Legal Services
The cancellation of a Turkish citizenship decision is a serious legal process that often happens for national security or administrative reasons. Under the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, the government may cancel citizenship if they decide that the legal requirements were not met when it was first granted. This situation affects many foreign citizens and their families.
Recently, there has been a significant wave of revocations of Turkish citizenship obtained through investment. Following an operation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on allegations of irregular citizenship sales, the Ministry of the Interior has revoked or rescinded the citizenship decisions of a total of 6,134 individuals—including 1,413 investors and their family members—pursuant to Articles 31 and 40 of Law No. 5901.
This decision, also known as the “Citizenship Revocation Decision,” is served by the Provincial Population and Citizenship Directorates. You must file a lawsuit within 60 days of the date of notification.
According to the relevant articles of Law No. 5901, the cancellation of citizenship is generally based on two main reasons:
This is most common in cases of citizenship granted through special routes (exceptional citizenship). If the government discovers that a person provided false information, hid important facts, or did not meet the legal requirements during their application, the decision can be canceled.
Although the cancellation (revocation) of Turkish citizenship is an administrative decision, it has serious consequences that deeply affect a person’s life, legal status, and family. These effects are especially significant for those who gained citizenship through special routes (exceptional citizenship).
After you are officially notified of the decision to cancel your citizenship, you have 60 days to file an annulment lawsuit. The court will examine the reasons for cancellation, the administration’s discretion, and the specific facts of your case to decide if the decision is lawful.
The authorized court for challenging a citizenship cancellation is the Ankara Administrative Court. It is very important to file the case in the correct court. Filing in the wrong court may result in your case being sent elsewhere, which causes unnecessary delays and extra costs.
The duration depends on the complexity of your case, the administration’s response time, and the court’s workload. Generally, these cases take between 4 and 18 months to conclude.
Note: You may also request a “stay of execution” (yürütmeyi durdurma) during the process. If the court accepts this, the cancellation decision is temporarily suspended, which is critical for your right to stay, reside, and work in Turkey.
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