YTB President Eren stated that the ''Project for Improvement of Public Services for Our Citizens Abroad" aims at making official procedures in Turkey more convenient for the Turks abroad.

The opening meeting of the ''Project for Improvement of Public Services for Our Citizens Abroad" which was initiated by the Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) in partnership with all the public institutions in Turkey and with the support of the Presidency of Turkey, Department of Strategy and Budget.

YTB President Abdullah Eren, Head of the Presidential Strategy and Budget Naci Ağbal and Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Prof. Haluk Dursun attended the meeting along with representatives of many public institutions and organizations.

Giving a speech in the meeting, YTB President Eren stated, “The Project for Improvement of Public Services for Our Citizens Abroad” which is intended to meet the needs of our citizens living abroad aims to identify administrative procedures, specify legal basis and make the procedures in question more convenient in terms of the duration and number of bureaucratic procedures.''

Reminding that it has been 60 years since Turkish citizens migrated to Europe as 'temporary workers', Eren emphasized that the main responsibility of YTB is for Turkish diaspora abroad.

Eren stated, “With around 6 million people including the fourth-generation, today Turks all around the world constitute one of the most important diasporas whose population is estimated to be nearly 9 million with around 2 million of them having the European Blue Card and the rest of them being unregistered in our system”.

Saying that Turkish citizens have managed to hold on in foreign lands and cultures in spite of all challenges and problems they experienced in the process, Eren adds, ''They have significantly contributed in the development of countries they live in, giving back more than they take.''

"They have always been there for Turkey in hard times"

“Our citizens not only took care of themselves, but also financially supported their relatives in Turkey. They established mosques and associations to protect and maintain their religion, language and cultural values. They have always been there for Turkey through its tough times, they invested with their savings, and sent foreign currency,” said Eren, President of YTB.

From the state’s perspective on the process of labor migration, Eren referred to the improvement of the variety of and methods for the services provided by Turkey in the face of the migration movement, and underlined that there is a completely new situation in terms of the state’s obligations towards its citizens.

Eren stated that the Turkish people abroad, who settled in the countries they went as workers, now have new needs and demands in social, cultural, pedagogical and religious fields, and added: “YTB was established in 2010 with the aim of coordinating the state’s works and activities for our citizens abroad, and to carry out special studies for our citizens living in other countries.”

“Significant gains achieved up to this point”

Reminding that there are provisions regarding Turkish citizens abroad in the Constitution, Eren stated that providing public services to the Turkish people living abroad in the best way possible and protecting their ties with their homeland is one of the fundamental duties of the state and this duty is supported by laws.

Eren added:

“Our citizens have been granted multiple citizenship rights so that they can enjoy their rights in the countries they live in to the full extent and can be saved from any dilemma between the Turkish citizenship and the citizenship of their countries of residence. Considering the situation in the countries that do not allow dual citizenship, the state started to issue Blue Card to our citizens abroad, giving them the same rights with Turkish citizens. In line with the demands from our citizens, the necessary legal and administrative steps were taken in almost every field. Up to this point, many problems have been solved and significant gains have been achieved thanks to the sacrifice of our citizens abroad as well as our state’s and public agencies’ inclusive approach to the problems related to the citizens living abroad.”

Eren noted that they regard the “Project for the Improvement of Public Services for Our Citizens Abroad” as a joint project of all public agencies, not only of certain institutions.

About the project

With this project, it is aimed to increase the speed and efficiency in all Turkey-related official processes and procedures of the citizens abroad and the Blue Card holders.

In this scope, the information and awareness of the citizens living abroad about the administrative and legal procedures in Turkey and foreign missions will be increased, their thoughts and suggestions will be asked for more convenient and effective solutions. 

Using the thoughts of the Turkish citizens abroad as a source for new legal regulations and the practices of public agencies is one of the aims of the project.

Naci Ağbal, Head of the Presidential Department of Strategy and Budget, addressed a speech at the meeting and pointed out that the project will help the citizens living abroad benefit from public services in a faster, easier, more convenient way with less bureaucratic procedures.

Ağbal noted that the current relevant legislation will be reviewed. He said: “It is very important that all institutions adopt and contribute to this. We will do our best to provide services to our citizens living abroad in the easiest way, from social security to military services, tax and title deeds.”

Ağbal underlined that in the last 17 years remarkable progress has been made in terms of improving and diversifying the quality of public services, and facilitating access to these services. “When we compare today with the period before 2002, we can see that our citizens can more easily access services in all fields, such as health, education, transportation, infrastructure, culture and art services. Previously access to hospitals, medicine, and books was very hard. These services will be diversified and enhanced in the coming period,” he said.

Ağbal stated that Turkey now provides all kinds of services very easily both within the country and abroad. Ağbal also said that he believes a great inventory will be created at the end of the 8-month project period.

Addressing the importance of providing services such as health, tax and recruitment to the citizens living abroad, and making the said transactions via the e-State system, Ağbal said: “We should create the legislative infrastructure and administrative structure that will enable all of our citizens living abroad to receive all public services via the e-State system.”

DURSUN: "WE SHOULD IMPROVE PUBLIC SERVICES"

Haluk Dursun, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, made an opening speech and said that the state approaches Turkish people living abroad with a “facilitating, uncomplicated and welcoming” approach.

Dursun indicated that those living abroad compare their living areas with Turkey. “We should get the best of these comparisons. This can only be achieved by improving public services, and working with a good humor. They are almost the 4^th generation today. They have a significant community there, but their hearts are with us. We have to keep the doors to their hearts open. We must improve our relations as much as possible. In this framework, services should be improved in places where these citizens receive public services, such as embassies and customs,” he said.

As stated by Dursun, citizens from abroad are often assessed from a financial point of view, and Turkey has huge potential abroad in terms of qualified human resource.

Dursun also noted that the young people who were born and raised in European countries, graduated from the education system of these countries, and are able to speak a few languages ​​other than Turkish, should be embraced by all public agencies, especially the Council of Higher Education.