Yes. The Press Card Regulation provides two types for foreign media members: the fixed-term and the temporary press card. The conditions are in Article 9 and the application procedure in Article 40.
Two Types
| Type | For whom | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-term | Foreign media members whose field of duty covers Turkey | Art. 11 |
| Temporary | Those whose field of duty does not cover Turkey and who come temporarily for news purposes | Art. 12 |
The Three Conditions (Art. 9)
- Documenting that they have been assigned by a media organisation
- Holding a work permit under International Labour Force Law No. 6735
- Producing a letter of introduction obtained from the embassy, legation or consulate in Turkey of the country where their organisation's head office is located
The article also states that the card may be issued by the Directorate on the basis of reciprocity.
Documents Required on Application (Art. 40)
The application is made by completing the electronic form on the Directorate's website, with a copy of the following uploaded to the system:
- A document showing the assignment by the media organisation and the service–pay relationship
- A press visa obtained from a Turkish embassy or consulate general, or a work visa from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security
- The letter of introduction from the representation in Turkey of the country where the organisation is based
- A photocopy of the visa and identity pages of the passport
- One passport photograph
A letter of introduction is not required from foreign media members applying through Anadolu Agency or TRT (Art. 40/3).
The Temporary Card: At Most Three Months
Media members coming to Turkey to work temporarily may be issued a card for at most three months, taking their assignment period into account, if they produce — together with the letter of introduction, passport copy and photograph — an assignment document stating their assignment period and their field and subjects of work in Turkey. The period may be extended once on request (Art. 40/2).
Validity of the Fixed-Term Card
Under Article 39 the card is issued to be valid until the end of the year of issue, not exceeding the assignment period. Two groups fall within the article: foreign media members resident or temporarily present in Turkey representing foreign media organisations, and foreign media members working at nationally distributed periodicals and at national or international radio and television organisations in Turkey.
Notification and Return (Art. 41)
A foreign media member holding a press card must give written notification within one month and return the card where:
- Their assignment ends
- Their organisation or residential address changes
- They acquire Turkish citizenship
The press card of those found not to have complied is cancelled. The Directorate is competent on the issue and cancellation of cards for foreign media members.
Two Limits
Bottom Line
Foreign journalists may be issued a fixed-term or temporary press card depending on their field of duty. An assignment document, work permit and letter of introduction are required, and reciprocity is taken into account. The temporary card is issued for at most three months and may be extended once. Neither a permanent card nor a press traffic card is issued.