The Turkish authorities did not prohibit the issuance of residence permits to all foreigners in all districts of Istanbul. This was reported in the Department of Migration of the Republic. ‘Statements that all 39 districts in Istanbul are closed for obtaining a residence permit are not true – we are talking about only 10 districts where it is impossible to apply for a primary residence permit,’ – said the department. They also noted that as of July 1, 2022, only 54 quarters were closed in Istanbul to obtain a primary residence permit. The reason for this was that the number of foreigners exceeded 20% of the population. Formerly newspaper Milliyet stated that in all districts of Istanbul, the issuance of residence permits for foreigners was suspended. The article said that from October 2022 to March 2023, this ban extended to all areas of the city. However, the authors of the note argued, the law provided for exceptions. For example, the issuance of a residence permit was due to those foreigners who came because of such circumstances as a threat to life, education, medical treatment and international trade.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon