The main route in the Regulation assumes working for an outlet. For independents there is a separate and narrow door.
The Main Route: The Post-Linked Press Card
Art. 10: a post-linked press card may be issued to Turkish citizen media members and information officers working attached to a media outlet. To apply, the conditions in Art. 8/1 must be met, the applicant must be a Turkish citizen, and must work attached to a media outlet or be an information officer.
Art. 8/1-f points the same way: the applicant must have concluded a contract conforming to Law No. 5953 and, save for force majeure, work without a break of more than one month from the date of leaving a job.
Second Route: The Free Press Card
Art. 13 opens a door: a free press card may be issued to Turkish citizen media members who are temporarily not working or who work as freelance journalists abroad.
But its conditions are narrow. The second paragraph:
- (a) Meeting the other conditions, save for the one in Art. 8/1-f
- (b) Applying within one month of the date of leaving a media outlet at which they had been working for at least one year
Free Card Durations
| Time previously holding a press card | Free card duration |
|---|---|
| Up to five years | Twelve months |
| Between five and ten years | Eighteen months |
| More than ten years | Twenty-four months |
Third Route: Freelance Journalism Abroad
Art. 13/4 provides an exception: a free press card may be issued to Turkish citizen journalists working as freelance journalists abroad without being attached to any media outlet, provided their situation is confirmed by the embassy or consulate in the country concerned.
The Position Under Law No. 5953
Art. 1 of Law No. 5953 defines a journalist as a person working for a wage in the intellectual and artistic work within its scope. Additional Art. 1 also recognises a journalist whose wage is determined per piece or by the amount of work - so payment on a royalty basis does not by itself remove a person from the scope.
The Document Requirement Still Applies
Art. 28/1 applies to every application: during the application it is mandatory to upload a passport photograph and a document evidencing at least six months of professional work.
The printout of the declaration is also approved by the owners of the media outlets or by the persons registered as authorised in the trade registry (Art. 28/2) - which itself presupposes an institutional link.
Working Without a Card Is Free
The card is not a licence to operate. Art. 3 of Law No. 5187 says the press is free; Art. 5 of the Regulation defines the card as an identity document. A freelance journalist without a card can do journalism. We cover this in journalism without a press card.
Summary
- A freelance journalist who has never had an institutional link cannot get a press card.
- The post-linked card requires employment with a media outlet; the free card requires at least a year of prior employment.
- The one exception is the free card available to those doing independent freelance journalism abroad, with embassy or consulate confirmation.
- Not holding a card does not prevent doing journalism.