23 February 2017•Update: 23 February 2017
ISTANBUL
Syrian refugees living in Istanbul province will be considered for Turkish citizenship after April’s referendum on constitutional change, the governor said Thursday.
“The files of nearly 2,000 qualified Syrian people living in Istanbul have been prepared and have been sent to the ministry for further process,” Vasip Sahin said at a news conference.
At least 540,000 Syrians are living in Istanbul province, he added.
On April 16, a referendum on reforms that would hand wide-ranging executive powers to the president and abolish the post of prime minister will be held.
Sahin said the submission of further files to the Interior Ministry were being prepared. “The files will be considered after April 16,” he added.
Around 2.9 million Syrians have fled to Turkey since the conflict in their homeland began in early 2011.
Last year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested the idea of granting citizenship to Syrians and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus later said granting citizenship could “create a bridge” between the countries.
Reporting by Adem Demir: Writing by Burcu Arik
