Turkey cancels over 6,000 citizenship by investment decisions
Turkey's Ministry of Interior has cancelled or withdrawn 6,134 citizenship by investment decisions — including 1,413 principal investors — in a major review of the programme's compliance and documentation integrity.
Turkey has undertaken a major review of its citizenship by investment (CBI) programme, resulting in the cancellation or withdrawal of 6,134 citizenship decisions, according to a recent announcement by the Ministry of Interior. The total includes 1,413 principal investors, with the remaining cases relating to spouses and dependent children who had obtained nationality through the same applications.
The Ministry stated that the cancellations fall into two distinct groups, each handled under different legal grounds. Although detailed criteria have not yet been publicly disclosed, the review appears to focus on compliance with programme requirements, documentation integrity, and the legitimacy of investment pathways used to obtain Turkish nationality.
The move signals a tightening of Turkey's oversight of its CBI programme, which has attracted substantial foreign interest in recent years. The cancellations underscore the government's intention to strengthen due diligence standards, address irregularities or misuse of investment routes, and reinforce the credibility of the programme internationally.
The review is expected to have implications for current and prospective applicants, particularly those using complex investment structures or relying on intermediaries.
Citizenship obtained through a weakly documented investment route can be reversed years later. Anyone holding or considering investment-based nationality should ensure the underlying investment, documentation and intermediary chain would survive a retrospective government review — because reviews like this are becoming the norm, not the exception.