An Evaluation on the Concept of Citizenship in the New Constitution Process

Development summary

Bahar Küpe and Ahmet Sürerdamar examine how Turkish citizenship might be redefined amid current constitutional amendment debates. They put forward proposals for revising the constitutional definition if it is to be reformulated.

The proposals take account of citizenship’s etymological meaning, its historical development in Turkish law and differing interpretations across legal systems. Approaches that understand citizenship as a legal bond with the state and reject ethnic discrimination are considered alongside variations in national practice, leading to the conclusion that these differences should inform the definition of Turkish citizenship.