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Only 3 percent of German citizens of Turkish origin have applied to regain Turkish citizenship in the nine months since a landmark dual citizenship law took effect, the Türkiye daily reported, citing figures from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
According to the report, out of approximately 550,000 Blue Card holders residing in Germany, just 18,000 have submitted applications to reacquire Turkish nationality since the new law took effect in June 2024.
The Blue Card, given to former citizens by Turkey, grants them certain civil rights including residency and inheritance, although they no longer enjoy political rights such as voting or holding office and do not have to perform compulsory military service.
Germany, with a population of around 84 million, is home to some 2.8 million people with a Turkish background, according to statistics.
An agreement signed in 1961 to bring in so-called “guest workers” on a temporary basis paved the way for a huge number of Turks to move to work in Germany.
About 870,000 Turks went to Germany under the agreement, which ran until 1973. Hundreds of thousands ended up staying, ushering in major social and demographic changes in Europe’s most populous country.
The dual citizenship reform was expected to resolve a long-standing dilemma for Turks in Germany, many of whom had to give up their Turkish nationality to become German citizens. But despite the new opportunity to hold both, the uptake has remained low.
A similar report by the Sözcü daily in December cited opposition lawmaker Utku Çakırözer as saying only 15,000 people had applied for Turkish citizenship in the first five-and-a-half months after the reform was enacted.
The low rate of applications was attributed to rising far-right sentiment in Germany, which is seen as threatening the new dual citizenship policy, as well as financial and legal hurdles — most notably the cost of military service and economic difficulties among the Turkish diaspora.
Türkiye reported that many applicants are discouraged by the requirement for military service among Turkish men. The current fee for exemption through paid military service stands at €6,000 (approximately 260,000 Turkish lira), a significant burden for many Turkish residents in Germany.