Your Turkish passport at risk? Ankara announces revocation of thousands of citizenships

Turkey has revoked the citizenship of 6,134 foreigners following fictitious real estate deals, valuation fraud, and security concerns. 72 suspects were arrested in raids across 16 provinces. 1,150 citizenship applicants obtained eligibility certificates through sham transactions, leading to the revocation of citizenship for 5,391 people. 263 applicants and their relatives were identified as security risks, resulting in the revocation of citizenship for 743 more. The Interior Ministry disclaimed responsibility, emphasizing that this was purely document forgery. Since mid-February, an additional 1,358 have had their citizenship revoked.

Turkey has announced the revocation of citizenship for 6,134 foreigners following fictitious real estate transactions, valuation fraud, and security concerns. According to the website 'Turkey Today', the announcement follows coordinated raids in 16 provinces, during which 72 suspects were arrested. The detainees are suspected of operating a network that helped foreigners obtain citizenship fraudulently through the 'citizenship by investment' program, bypassing the investment threshold using forged documents that inflated property values. Investigation data shows that 1,150 citizenship applicants obtained eligibility certificates through sham transactions, leading to the revocation of citizenship for 5,391 people, including family members. Additionally, 263 applicants and their relatives were identified as security risks, leading to the revocation of citizenship for 743 more. The Interior Ministry disclaimed responsibility, emphasizing that the issues pertain solely to document forgery. Since mid-February, an additional 1,358 have had their citizenship revoked. The program was launched in 2017 with a minimum investment of $1 million, reduced to $250,000 in 2018, and raised to $400,000 in June 2022. Other routes include depositing $500,000 in a bank, purchasing government bonds, or creating 50 jobs, with a requirement to maintain the investment for three years and undergo background checks.