I. Introduction
Foreign investors applying for Turkish citizenship often ask whether they can keep their existing name or take a Turkish name on becoming a Turkish citizen. Both options are available. An applicant may retain the existing foreign name, subject to the Turkish registration rules, or take a Turkish name and surname during the citizenship process.
The choice affects the name entered in the Turkish population registry and used for Turkish identity documents. For investors who continue to use a foreign passport or hold assets under their existing name, the application should also preserve a clear connection between the two sets of records.
II. Name selection during the citizenship application
Article 74 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law governs name registration on acquisition of citizenship. It permits foreign applicants to take a Turkish name and surname, but does not require them to do so. The provision also applies to applicants using the investment route.
Applicants who retain their existing name must have it entered in Turkish letters under Law No. 1353 on the Adoption and Application of Turkish Letters. Retaining a name therefore does not necessarily mean reproducing its foreign spelling or original script unchanged.
Article 74 also provides for no more than two given names, written without abbreviation, and a surname written as one word. It excludes punctuation such as hyphens and full stops from names and surnames and refers surname selection to the rules in the Surname Regulation. These requirements need particular attention where a foreign passport contains several given names or a compound surname.
Retaining an existing foreign name
Where an investor already uses the same name across foreign identity documents, business records and the investment file, retaining it can reduce the need to explain a later change. This is a practical consideration, not a guarantee that Turkish and foreign documents will show identical spellings.
Taking a Turkish name and surname
An applicant may instead be registered under a Turkish name and surname. Some prefer this because they intend to live permanently in Turkey, and others have personal reasons for using a different name as a Turkish citizen.
The requested name should be recorded clearly in the citizenship application and checked before registration is completed. Once registered, a later request for a different name is subject to the separate procedures discussed below. Taking a Turkish name leaves the applicant's existing rights and obligations intact.
III. Spelling and Turkish identity records
Where a name contains letters or characters outside the Turkish alphabet, its spelling must be adapted for Turkish registration. This can affect names written in Arabic, Cyrillic or Chinese scripts, as well as Latin-script names containing letters that the Turkish alphabet does not use.
A dual national may consequently hold Turkish identity documents under a spelling that differs from the foreign passport. Banks or authorities comparing the records may ask for evidence that they concern the same person. The proposed Turkish spelling should be checked against the passport, birth certificate and the documents used in the citizenship application before registration.
The name in the population registry is the basis for Turkish identity documents. Applying for a replacement passport does not itself change that record. If the registered name needs to be changed or corrected, the underlying registry issue must be addressed before replacement documents are issued.
Spouses and children
Where family members acquire citizenship together, their names should be reviewed against their birth and marriage records and foreign passports. Particular care is needed with a parent's name as recorded in a child's documents, as well as with the family surname. Differences can require further explanation during international travel or in school and immigration applications.
IV. Changing a registered name after naturalisation
After registration, correcting an error and requesting a different name follow different legal routes. The fact that an application is described as a correction does not necessarily mean that it can be dealt with without a court order.
Articles 35 and 38 of the Population Services Law No. 5490 allow the population authorities to correct clerical errors made when information was entered from the underlying registration document. The correction brings the entry into line with that document. A difference between a Turkish record and a foreign passport is not, by itself, proof of such an error. The difference may reflect a name selected during naturalisation or the Turkish-letter registration rules. A correction outside the statutory clerical-error power may require a court order.
A substantive change of name is governed by Article 27 of the Turkish Civil Code, which requires justified reasons and a judicial decision. The court assesses the reasons in the applicant’s individual circumstances. These may concern difficulties associated with the existing name, established use of another name, or personal reasons for no longer identifying with the registered name.
Personal preference is relevant to that assessment, and the application should explain why the person wishes to use the proposed name. Evidence of established use, relevant identity records and witness testimony can support the claim where appropriate. Once a judgment allowing the change becomes final and the registry is updated, the citizen may apply for replacement identity documents.
As at September 2026, Article 27 requires the name change to be entered in the population registry and announced on the Press Advertisement Agency’s portal. The Constitutional Court annulled the portal-announcement requirement in its decision of 25 December 2025, E.2025/120, K.2025/270, published in the Official Gazette on 1 April 2026, No. 33211. The annulment takes effect nine months after publication, on 1 January 2027. It does not remove the requirement for a judicial decision based on justified reasons.
V. Connecting the former and current names
A name change does not alter the individual’s personal status or transfer their assets. Property, company shareholdings and contractual rights remain with the same person, as do existing debts and obligations. Records held under the former name may nevertheless need updating, and institutions may require documents linking the names before processing a transaction.
Article 75 of the Citizenship Regulation provides for the former name and surname to be recorded where a person acquires Turkish citizenship under a Turkish name. A name-equivalence certificate, known as an isim denklik belgesi, can document the earlier name and the citizenship-acquisition details. The General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs provides for certificates for naturalised citizens whose former name and surname are recorded in the population registry, through district population offices or e-Devlet. Missing former-name information must first be supported by the documents required by the authority.
A Turkish name change should not be assumed to amend a foreign passport or foreign asset records automatically. Recognition of the change and the documents needed to update those records depend on the country and institution concerned. The certificate and, for a later court-ordered change, the final judgment should therefore be considered alongside the relevant foreign requirements.
VI. Practical assessment for investors
For an investor with assets and business interests in several countries, the naming decision should take account of where the existing name is already recorded and what would be required to update those records. A proposed Turkish name or spelling can then be checked within the citizenship application, while the documents establishing continuity with the former name remain available for later transactions.
If citizenship has already been granted, the first step is to examine the registered entry and its source documents. That review identifies whether the population authority can correct the entry administratively or whether judicial proceedings are needed. It also identifies which identity and asset records will need attention once the Turkish record has been amended.
This article provides general information on Turkish law and practice as at September 2026 and does not constitute legal advice in relation to a specific application.
