The State of Turkey is the principal provider of protection in Turkey. Registration with the Turkish authorities is therefore the most important way of securing your rights in Turkey. Registration is an important obligation for foreigners in Turkey as it forms the legal basis for your stay in Turkey and allows you access to public services. Registration protects you against forced return to your country.
On the basis of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, you are obliged to apply to the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management (PDMM) individually to be registered under the provision of international protection procedures.
As an international protection applicant, you will not be subjected to criminal action for irregular (illegal) entry into Turkey or irregular (illegal) stay in Turkey, provided that you give a justified reason for your irregular entry or presence. After registration with PDMM, and in accordance with the law, you should reside in the city that has been assigned to you.
Following your registration with PDMM, an International Protection Applicant ID (IPAID) will be issued for you and your family members; you will be legally staying in Turkey with your ID document. On the ID document, an individual foreigner’s ID number (99 xxxxxx), will be printed for you and for each of your family members. This ID number grants you and each of your family member the access to a set of rights and services in Turkey.
Please note that the law also obliges you to maintain regular contact with PDMM; this is done by reporting to PDMM at regular intervals and signing yourself in (“signature duty”). You will be notified of the scheduled times for your signature duty.
Complying with signature duty is very important. Unless you have presented valid reasons for why you are not able to fulfil your signature duty, PDMM may consider your international protection application as implicitly withdrawn, and accordingly issue a decision which needs to be appealed in Court. Therefore, to avoid possible deportation and lengthy court procedures, please perform your signature duty at the scheduled times.
Status determination procedure conducted by the Turkish authorities
The Turkish authorities have the primary responsibility for receiving and assessing your international protection application.
At the time of your registration with PDMM, you will be asked to provide information on your reasons for leaving your country of origin or former habitual residence; your experience following departure; and events that led to the application.
As per the law, an in-person interview should normally be conducted with you within 30 days from the date of registration; however, it is possible that it may take place later. It is important that you present yourself at PDMM at whatever time your interview is scheduled. Additional interviews may be conducted when considered necessary. National law and regulations require that the confidentiality of your identity and the information that you provide shall be respected.
As per the law, the assessment of the application will be finalized no later than six months after the date of your registration by the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM). Please note that this may take longer. Decisions will be made on an individual basis; applications on behalf of a family will be evaluated as a single application and the decision will be valid for the whole family. Your personal circumstances and the current general conditions in your country of origin or former habitual residence will be taken into consideration in making the decision.
Appeal procedure
If your international protection application was rejected or has been considered withdrawn by PMM/PDMM, and you disagree with the decision, you may appeal the negative decision. Appeals need to be submitted to the International Protection Evaluation Commission (IPEC) within 10 days, or alternatively to the administrative court within 30 days, of the date of the notification of the decision. If your application was considered in the accelerated procedure or considered inadmissible, you can appeal the negative decision to the administrative court within 15 days. Should you fail to appeal the negative decision within that time, the negative decision will become final.
You may benefit from legal aid services to appeal these negative decisions. Legal aid is provided by the Legal Aid Bureaus under each Bar Association in Turkey.
The contact information for all Bar Associations can be found on the Union of Turkish Bar Associations website. You can also find this information in this leaflet.