My colleague found this update on facebook, (apologies I don't have the exact URL from where this was taken):
''About Ikamet Permissions.
If you stay in Turkey for more than 90 days, you must obtain a residence permit.
After that, if you continue to stay you must apply for the extension of your residence permit via the e-Ikamet system from 60 days before your residence permit expires and any name or address changed in such cases in twenty working days.
The foreigners who have been granted a short term residence permit for a period of a maximum of one year within the framework of subparagraph 31-1 (e) of Law number 6464 [foreigners who will stay in Turkey for Tourism purposes] in cases of absence of a reason for a new residence permit instead of offering justified reasons other than tourism ,their residence permit requests for the 'same purpose' will be disapproved as of 01/01.2020.''
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Although it cannot be stated by the DGMM in the above notice [they have to stay impartial] , one operator on the 157 helpline stated to a caller that this ''should not'' apply to those applying with passports issued in the EU, USA, Canada, Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, Chile, New Zealand, China and Russia . [It is to be assumed that after Brexit the UK would be added to the above list.]
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If the information from 157 is correct it appears that it may not affect every Nationality applying for a renewal RP for touristic purposes [ie.those renting a property or a Letter of Living Permission鈥� [ Taahhutname ]. BUT if the GOC officer sees fit,a renewal under Tourism can be refused from any applicant of any nationality.
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This seems to be an extension of what Istanbul GOC implemented in 2018 where some applicants from Syria & some Asian countries [no discrimination intended or implied] were thought to have obtained false RP application supporting documents from agents of a poor reputation &/or those working here illegally, so this thinned out the suspected illegal applications.
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For those that the above notification may affect,if you can legitimately change your type of Residence Permit renewal application to other than 'touristic' [see next paragraph] then your RP application will be considered.
Those holding a Work Permit, Family Residence Permit, Student Residence Permit or a Tapu [property owners] will NOT be affected by this change of procedure.
