I recently received an interesting e-mail concerning military service and the possible consequences of not fulfilling this obligation, though this person has severed all ties with Turkey and has settled abroad.
The letter reads as follows:
“Mr. Çektir, I was born in Turkey with a different last name than I have now. I imagine, all my birth records and citizenship status is under that old last name. When I arrived in the US, I was 6 years old. We are Armenian. I do not speak Turkish. When my family became American citizens, we changed our last name to our original Armenian name. I am over 40 years old now and would like to visit Turkey with my wife and children. If I were to go on vacation in Turkey, would I have to serve the military duty? As I mentioned above, I don't speak Turkish, am Armenian, have a business, family and a life here in America. However, my last name in my US passport has been changed from the Turkish one to the Armenian one since 19XX, but my passport says my birthplace is Turkey. How can I visit Turkey and not be a soldier? If I were to arrive in the İstanbul airport, would I be putting myself in a difficult spot with customs and the military?”
Before I start, I would like to underline that the explanation below depends solely on assumptions and estimates. It is not possible to give any concrete response to your question, but all answers will be in “very likely” or “very unlikely” form.
There are two major things to say about this e-mail. First, it would be very difficult to detect whether you have completed your military service or not. It would be very unlikely that you would encounter any problems in customs or in passport control. I believe that even if we do dig to find your military records, it would be difficult to reach them without having your former surname which you used to have in Turkey. The only indication of your roots being in Turkey seems to be the entry on the “place of birth” line of your passport, but this should not have anything to do with your military records. It is certainly possible to be born in Turkey but not become a Turkish citizen. In other words, the remark in your passport does not necessarily entail any military obligation.
The second major thing about this matter is that following your visit to Turkey, you may simply work on solving this matter radically. You may waive your right to Turkish citizenship if you are not planning on having any future life in or related to Turkey. This will make you more comfortable about taking any future trips to Turkey.
NOTE: Berk Çektir is a licensed attorney at law and available to answer questions on the legal aspects of living in Turkey. Send enquiries to b.cektir@todayszaman.com. The names of the readers are disclosed only upon written approval of the sender. DISCLAIMER: The information provided here is intended to give basic legal information. You should get legal assistance from a licensed attorney at law while conducting legal transactions and not just rely on the information in this corner.
