Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship Through Marriage

1. Introduction

The acquisition of Turkish citizenship through marriage is governed by Article 16 of Law No. 5901 on Turkish Citizenship. Under this provision, a foreign national who marries a Turkish citizen and remains married for a minimum of three years may apply for Turkish citizenship. However, marriage alone does not automatically confer the right to citizenship. Additional conditions set forth by law must also be met.

2. Legal Framework and Application Requirements

According to Article 16 of Law No. 5901, being married to a Turkish citizen is not sufficient on its own to obtain citizenship. The applicant must simultaneously satisfy the following three main criteria:

Living together within the framework of family unity
Not engaging in activities incompatible with the marriage union
Having no circumstances that pose a threat to national security or public order

In the event that the Turkish spouse passes away after the application, the requirement to live in family unity is waived. Furthermore, if the marriage is later annulled but the foreign spouse acted in good faith, the acquired citizenship may be preserved.

3. Marriage Conditions

The first and fundamental condition for acquiring citizenship through marriage is that the foreign applicant must be:

Legally married to a Turkish citizen
The marriage must have lasted for at least three years
The marital relationship must still be valid at the time of application
The marriage must be genuine and not fraudulent

Simply being legally married does not automatically validate the citizenship application.

4. Requirement to Live in Family Unity

Applicants must prove that they maintain a genuine family life. Since this type of application is prone to abuse, sham marriages—those entered into solely for the purpose of obtaining citizenship—are thoroughly investigated by the authorities. In this regard:

Applications are submitted through the Provincial Directorates of Population and Citizenship
The Provincial Police Department conducts background checks on the applicant
The investigation focuses on:
- Whether the couple is living in family unity
- Whether there is any behavior incompatible with the marriage union
- Whether there is any threat to national security or public order

The findings are recorded in an official investigation report, and the application may be put on hold during the evaluation process.

5. Requirement to Refrain from Activities Incompatible with the Marital Union

During the application process, authorities assess the authenticity of the marriage and the lifestyle of the applicants. In this context, the following elements are taken into account:

Whether the couple resides together at a shared address
The presence of financial and social unity
The degree to which the relationship aligns with a genuine family life

While Article 16 of Law No. 5901 refers to this requirement in general terms, further clarification is provided in Article 28 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law. According to this regulation, the following actions are considered incompatible with the marital union and may lead to the rejection of the application:

Engaging in prostitution
Facilitating or mediating prostitution

Such activities are deemed inconsistent with the nature of a lawful and sincere marriage and are treated as grounds for refusal in the evaluation of citizenship applications based on marriage.