Art. 37 of the Press Card Regulation requires the card to be returned in three situations, and the period is one month.
Three Situations
| Subpara. | Situation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Change of workplace or title | 1 month |
| (b) | Leaving a job | 1 month |
| (c) | Cancellation of the press card | 1 month |
The Return of a Free Card Is Governed Separately
The second paragraph sets two separate starting points for a free press card issued on account of leaving a job. The card is returned within one month of:
- The date of starting work
- And in any event the expiry of the periods in Art. 13/3
The periods in Art. 13 are 12, 18 or 24 months depending on how long a card was previously held. So a free card is returned both on taking up work and on the expiry of its period.
No Commission Decision on Returning to Work
This spares a journalist returning after an interval from going through the Commission process again.
No New Card Without a Return
Return and Notification Are Separate Duties
Art. 36 imposes a separate duty: changes of workplace and title are notified in writing to the Directorate by the press member and the owners of the media outlet within one month of the date of change.
| Duty | What is done | Who | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification | The change is notified in writing | The press member and the owner of the outlet | Art. 36 |
| Return | The card is physically returned to the Directorate | The card holder | Art. 37 |
Neither substitutes for the other; both are done within one month.
Why the Date of Return Matters on Cancellation
The date of return has a further consequence on cancellation. Under Art. 38/4, where a card is cancelled for breach of press ethics principles, the one year that must pass before a new card can be issued starts from the date the card was returned.
For Foreign Media Members
Under Art. 41 a foreign media member must give written notice and return the card within one month where their duty ends, the address of their organisation or residence changes, or they acquire Turkish citizenship.
Summary
- The card is returned within one month on a change of workplace or title, on leaving a job and on cancellation.
- A free card issued on leaving a job is returned within one month of starting work or of the expiry of its period.
- No new application is processed until the old card has been returned.
- Notification under Art. 36 and return under Art. 37 are separate duties running in the same month.