Glossary

Eighteen terms you will meet on application forms, in notification letters and across the counter. The Turkish is given first, because that is what the paperwork says.

Olağan yoldan vatandaşlıkordinary naturalisation

Acquisition of Turkish citizenship under Article 11 of Law No. 5901 after five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence. The route this casebook covers — see the eight conditions.

İkamet izniresidence permit

The right to reside lawfully in Türkiye, granted in categories under Law No. 6458. Which category you hold determines the rate at which the five years accrue: the rate table.

Kesintisiz ikametuninterrupted residence

Residence held without a gap in lawful status and without exceeding the absence limits. Breaking it restarts the qualifying period rather than pausing it — see the absence rules.

Yerleşme niyetiintent to settle

The Article 11 condition proved by the conduct listed in Article 15 of the implementing regulation: property, capital, business, employment or family living in Türkiye.

Genel ahlakgood moral character

The condition assessed on the applicant's whole record — convictions, immigration breaches, undeclared work, public debts and honesty in earlier applications.

Vatandaşlık başvuru inceleme komisyonucitizenship examination commission

The provincial commission that examines the file and conducts the interview at which Turkish is assessed and the applicant's circumstances are tested.

Arşiv araştırmasıarchive investigation

The security and records investigation run in parallel with the commission stage. It is the main reason decisions take one to three years rather than months.

Uygunluk belgesicertificate of eligibility

The document issued once the application file is accepted as complete, confirming the applicant may proceed at that stage of the procedure.

Vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneğidetailed civil registry extract

The registry record showing marriages, divorces, children and civil-status events. Part of the Article 17 document set for both Turkish and foreign records.

Giriş–çıkış kaydıentry and exit record

The official record of every entry to and departure from Türkiye. It is the evidence against which absences are counted, and it outranks your recollection.

Yeminli tercümansworn translator

A translator sworn before a Turkish notary. Foreign documents require sworn translation and notarisation; a translation notarised abroad is frequently refused.

Apostilapostille

The certificate under the 1961 Hague Convention authenticating a foreign public document. Obtainable only in the issuing state, and required before submission.

İptal davasıannulment action

The administrative court action challenging the lawfulness of a refusal, brought within sixty days of notification — one of the two remedies in the remedy guide.

Nüfus kütüğüpopulation register

The civil register into which a new citizen is entered after approval. Registration produces the identity number and fixes the spelling of the name.

T.C. kimlik numarasıTurkish identity number

The eleven-digit number assigned on registration. Banking, health cover, property and tax all depend on it — see the steps after approval.

Muvafakatconsent

The consent of the other parent, generally required where a minor child acquires citizenship together with a naturalising parent. See spouse and children.

Beş bir oranıfive-to-one employment ratio

The expectation that a company sponsoring a foreign work permit employs a defined number of Turkish nationals for each foreign employee, tested at every renewal.

Muhtaç olmamasufficient means

The income or profession condition: capacity to maintain the applicant and dependants from documented, lawful income rather than from any published minimum figure.