‘Public morality’ to become condition for Turkish citizenship

ANKARA

A draft omnibus bill taken to Parliament by the government will introduce a “public morality” condition for citizenship for foreigners who marry Turkish citizens.

The exact content of the “public morality” condition remains unclear as yet, but if the bill passes it will be added to other criteria such as “national security” and “public order.”

Another item in the draft bill eases women’s continued use of their ex-husband’s surnames after divorce. A petition to the civil registry will be enough for women to use such surnames, according to the draft. 

Other changes include a limit to the maximum number of names used in ID cards to three, an easier path to change misspelled surnames, and a provision that will mean that people over 110 years old who have not arisen in any state database for 30 years will be formally considered to have died