Turkey’s New Direction for Free Movement of Persons: Challenges in Turkey Cover Image

Turkey’s New Direction for Free Movement of Persons: Challenges in Turkey
Turkey’s New Direction for Free Movement of Persons: Challenges in Turkey

Author(s): Tugba Aydin
Subject(s): Civil Society, Governance, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Electoral systems, Present Times (2010 - today), EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, EU-Legislation, Politics and Identity
Published by: Centre of European Dialogue and Cultural Diplomacy
Keywords: European citizenship; nation-state citizenship; migration; institutional reforms; citizenship policy; free movement of persons;

Summary/Abstract: Migration is a salient phenomenon in the European Union, including non-European and intra-European migration. European citizenship contributed to this process a lot under the praxis of free movement of persons. Also, the right to vote and to stand in municipal and European Parliament elections has opened a new path for political transformation of citizens’ and European migrants’ rights. Turkey, as a candidate for EU membership, has a different political and legal structure for migrants. Even if there are settled foreigners coming from EU member countries, yet there is no institutional (municipal, regional or central level) and constitutional development for them. Also, the right to vote is exercised only by Turkish citizens. In the case of EU membership, there will be a considerable debate on citizenship and migrants’ rights, including institutional arrangements. So, this paper aims to analyse current preparations of Turkey for the free movement of persons. Thus, the detailed concept of the migration flow into Turkey will be defined and differences will be compared with European member countries. Then, Turkey’s current migration and citizenship policy, as well as its administrative practices at institutional level will be discussed.

  • Issue Year: 2/2014
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 4-15
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: English