No. The Regulation deals with this in a single sentence, without exception.
The Prohibition
Art. 14/3 of the Press Card Regulation: a permanent press card cannot be issued to foreign media members.
What Is a Permanent Card?
Art. 14/1: a permanent press card may be issued for life to media members with at least eighteen years of professional service and to information officers who have held a press card for at least eighteen years.
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Period | At least eighteen years of professional service |
| For information officers | At least eighteen years holding a press card |
| Validity | For life |
| Foreigners | Cannot be issued - Art. 14/3 |
Which Conditions Are Not Sought?
Art. 14/2: applicants for a permanent press card must meet the other conditions save for the one in Art. 8/1-f. Subparagraph (f) is the condition of a contract conforming to Law No. 5953 and of working without a break.
A Qualification in the Calculation
Art. 14/4, added by Presidential Decision No. 8624 of 6/6/2024: in calculating the periods in the first paragraph, at most twenty-four months of the total periods during which a free press card was held under Art. 13 are taken into account.
The Second Door Closed to Foreigners
The permanent card is not the only document closed to foreigners. Art. 44/3: press traffic cards are not issued to foreign media members.
| Document | Issued to a foreigner? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-term press card | Yes | Art. 11 |
| Temporary press card | Yes | Art. 12 |
| Post-linked press card | No - Turkish citizenship required | Art. 10/2-b |
| Free press card | No - for Turkish citizen media members | Art. 13 |
| Permanent press card | No | Art. 14/3 |
| Press traffic card | No | Art. 44/3 |
What a Permanent Card Brings
To see what the prohibition means, look at what a permanent card provides:
- Lifetime validity - whereas foreigners' cards are valid "until the end of the year of issue, not exceeding the period of duty" (Art. 39).
- No work condition - the exemption from Art. 8/1-f.
- Commission membership - under Art. 30/1-ç, four members of the Press Card Commission are designated by the Directorate from among holders of permanent press cards.
- A service-stamped passport - Art. 2 of the relevant Directive separately lists holders of permanent press cards resident in Turkey within its scope.
What If They Acquire Turkish Citizenship?
The picture changes. Art. 41/1-c requires a foreign media member who acquires Turkish citizenship to give notice within one month and return the card. With citizenship the route to a post-linked card opens, and in time the conditions for a permanent card may arise.
Summary
- A permanent press card cannot be issued to foreign media members (Art. 14/3).
- The card types provided for them are the fixed-term and temporary press cards.
- Those are valid until the end of the year of issue, not exceeding the period of duty.
- Press traffic cards are also not issued to foreigners.