Serving in the military has an important place in Turkish culture. Service is done for the countries benefit and is highly respected amongst Turkish people, who often celebrate each mans service with joy and lots of excitement.
Military service in Turkey is an obligated duty for all Turkish men, even Turkish citizens who came to Turkey as foreigners and became citizens of Turkey. The Turkish law states that,” Those refugees and foreigners who are not recognized as immigrants according to the law, but who attain Turkish citizenship shall perform their military duty in the exact same way as a local Turkish male.
There is an important point though. Men born to another citizenship that become a Turkish citizen after the age of 22 are exempt from Military duty. If such a male were to have entered Turkey before the age of 22 and received citizenship after 22, they must serve in the military.
Reasons for exemption of Military service in Turkey
If a person has already served their military service in some designated countries and has documented proof of this, they are exempt from service in Turkey. These countries are Azerbaijan, Northern Cyprus and other countries of Turkish origin.
Persons who suffer from various health conditions, and have documents of proof, are also exempt. Health conditions such as sight problems, nerve damage, mental disabilities, psychical disabilities, cancer and certain infections are included.
Reasons in which the Military Service is postponed
The main reason the service is postponed is due to education or health conditions. If a person has a disease with treatment, their service will be postponed until they are recovered. People who suffer from weight issues or broken limbs can have their military service postponed for a year.
Military Service by Payment
Turkey offers a paid military service for its citizens who are obligated to serve in the military. This paid service is also available for foreigners who became Turkish citizens. If a foreigner wishes to use this paid service they must have lived in Turkey for at least three years.
Every year these service payments and procedures are subject to change. In the year 2020 the fee for the paid military service was 31.000 Turkish Liras.