Can a foreigner who creates 50+ jobs in Türkiye get Turkish citizenship?
General information, not legal advice. For high-stakes decisions, confirm with the official institution in the next-step below, or consult a qualified Turkish lawyer.
Pending expert review. This fact is sourced but has not yet been reviewed by an independent legal expert. Treat as a starting point.
Yes — under Law 5901 Article 12, the exceptional citizenship path. Foreigners who have created at least 50 jobs for Turkish citizens in companies they own or co-own can be granted Turkish citizenship by Presidential decree.
The application goes to Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı (Uluslararası İşgücü Genel Müdürlüğü) with a wet-signed application letter, notarised signature declaration, completed Employment Information Form (İstihdam Bilgi Formu), passport ID-page copy, trade registry records showing ownership shares plus a current Trade Registry Certificate, SGK current Employee List for the workplace, tax debt status letter from Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı, SGK premium debt status letter, and disclosure of any administrative penalty in the last 6 months with supporting documents.
Processing time. Complete applications process in 7 business days. Incomplete ones get 30 days to fix missing items. If criteria are met, CSGB notifies the Interior Ministry and the applicant.
Continuous employment requirement. The 50 full-time Turkish-citizen jobs have to show continuity over the previous 6 months — not just be present on the application day.
Watch-outs
- Citizenship is at presidential discretion. Meeting the criteria doesn't automatically grant citizenship; it qualifies you for consideration.
- Falsified documents (sahte belge) trigger Interior Ministry referral. The exposure here is criminal, not just administrative.
- The 50 jobs have to be full-time Turkish-citizen positions. Temporary or part-time padding doesn't count toward the threshold.
- CSGB evaluates whether your capital share is "sufficient" without a published numeric threshold. That ambiguity favours larger ownership stakes over technical minimums.
Next step
This is a complex application. Engage a Turkish lawyer with citizenship-by-investment or exceptional-pathway experience before assembling the package — a misstep at submission is hard to recover.
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