Working as a foreign journalist in Turkey passes through three separate sets of legislation: the work permit (Law No. 6735), residence (Law No. 6458) and the press card (the Press Card Regulation). Filming and research permissions and customs facilities are added to those. This guide brings eighteen headings together.
Three Doors, Three Statutes
| Door | Legislation | Core provision |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Work permit | Law No. 6735 | Art. 6/2: working without a work permit is prohibited |
| 2. Residence | Law No. 6458 | Art. 27: a valid work permit counts as a residence permit |
| 3. Press card | The Press Card Regulation | Art. 9/1-b: a work permit under Law No. 6735 is a condition of the card |
1. Definition and Conditions
- the-legal-definition-of-a-foreign-media-member-turkey
- can-a-foreign-journalist-get-a-turkish-press-card
- how-reciprocity-affects-foreign-journalists-in-turkey
Art. 9 of the Regulation requires three conditions of foreign media members: documenting that they have been assigned by a media outlet, holding a work permit under Law No. 6735, and presenting the letter of introduction obtained from the representation in Turkey of the country where their organisation's head office is located. Where those conditions are met, a card may be issued having regard also to the principle of reciprocity.
2. Card Types
- temporary-vs-fixed-term-press-card-turkey
- press-card-for-a-journalist-on-a-short-assignment-turkey
- can-a-foreign-journalist-get-a-permanent-press-card-turkey
- can-a-foreign-journalist-get-a-press-traffic-card-turkey
| Card | To a foreigner | Measure | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-term press card | Issued | Area of duty covering Turkey | Art. 11 |
| Temporary press card | Issued | Area of duty not covering Turkey; coming for news purposes for a limited period | 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 | Cannot be issued | - | Art. 14/3 |
| Press traffic card | Not issued | - | Art. 44/3 |
The card period is also limited: under Art. 39 a card may be issued to foreign media members valid until the end of the year of issue and not exceeding the period of duty.
3. Application and Documents
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- what-is-a-letter-of-introduction-and-who-issues-it-turkey
| Document | Permanent duty | Temporary duty |
|---|---|---|
| Document showing the assignment and service-fee relationship | Required | - |
| Press member visa or work visa | Required | - |
| Letter of introduction | Required | Required |
| Visa and identity pages of the passport | Required | Required |
| Passport photograph | Required | Required |
| Period of duty + fields and subjects of work in Turkey | - | Required |
4. Work Permit and Residence
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- exceptional-work-permit-assessment-turkey
- residence-permits-for-foreign-journalists-turkey
| Issue | Rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The basic prohibition | Working without a work permit is prohibited | Law No. 6735 Art. 6/2 |
| Place of application | In Turkey to the Ministry, abroad to a Turkish representation | Law No. 6735 Art. 7 |
| First permit | At most one year | Law No. 6735 Art. 10 |
| First extension | At most two years | Law No. 6735 Art. 10 |
| Later extensions | At most three years | Law No. 6735 Art. 10 |
| Change of employer | Counts as a first application | Law No. 6735 Art. 10 |
| Residence | A valid work permit counts as a residence permit | Law No. 6458 Art. 27 |
| Address registration | With the address registration system within 20 working days | Law No. 6458 Art. 26/2 |
| Residence permit period | 60 days shorter than the passport period | Law No. 6458 Art. 23 |
5. Field Work: Permission and Freedom
- foreigners-filming-and-researching-in-turkey
- the-circular-on-interviews-with-foreign-press-members-turkey
- customs-facilities-for-foreign-media-organisations-turkey
| Activity | Is permission required? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering news and information in a place open to the public | No - free | Decision No. 88/12839 Art. 2/b |
| Following events, interviews, photographs, video in a place open to the public | No - free | Decision No. 88/12839 Art. 2/b |
| Study, research and excavation on archaeological, historical, geological, sociological and natural subjects, and recording on those subjects | Yes - prior permission + an escort | Decision No. 88/12839 Art. 2/a |
| Documentary and commercial film for promotional purposes | The provisions of a separate Regulation | Decision No. 88/12839 - the 2003/6270 addition |
| Research in State archives | The principles determined by the Directorate of State Archives | Decision No. 88/12839 - the 2002/3632 addition |
On the customs side, Decision No. 87/12201 (Official Gazette 4/11/1987-19624) exempts professional tools, equipment and vehicles from all customs duties, fees and charges. But equipment and vehicles brought by those on temporary duty may not be transferred or sold in any way.
6. Notification and Return
| Situation | Period | What is done | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| The duty coming to an end | 1 month | Written notification + return of the card | Art. 41/1-a |
| A change in the organisation or residence address | 1 month | Written notification + return of the card | Art. 41/1-b |
| Acquiring Turkish citizenship | 1 month | Written notification + return of the card | Art. 41/1-c |
7. Turkish Citizens with an Overseas Dimension
- staff-of-turkish-media-organisations-broadcasting-abroad
- who-can-get-a-free-press-card-turkey
- press-cards-for-foreign-bureau-staff-turkey
| Group | Citizenship | Who confirms | Subpara. |
|---|---|---|---|
| A foreign media member | Foreign | The representation in Turkey of the country of the head office - a letter of introduction | Art. 7/1-c |
| The owner/employee of an organisation broadcasting abroad | Turkish citizen | The Turkish representation in the country of residence - a confirmation letter (Art. 28/5) | Art. 7/1-ç |
| Someone doing freelance journalism abroad | Turkish citizen | The Turkish embassy or consulate in the country concerned (Art. 13/4) | Art. 7/1-d |
Other Main Guides
| Guide | Scope |
|---|---|
| turkish-press-card-guide | Card types, conditions, commission, quotas, cancellation |
| journalist-employment-rights-turkey | The Law No. 5953 regime: contract, wages, leave, notice and severance |
| starting-a-media-outlet-in-turkey | Declaration, imprint, responsible editor, delivery, archive, licensing |
| turkish-media-ancillary-legislation-map | Legal deposit, printing houses, elections, service, the levy, transmission, advertising |
| copyright-data-protection-and-access-to-information-in-turkish-news | Quotation, source attribution, reader data and freedom of information |
| turkish-news-agencies-and-support-legislation | Agency conditions, Anadolu Agency, the Promotion Fund and the 2018 alignment package |