türkçe links to original Turkish article
(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 November 2025)
Perhaps (!) police time and effort would be better spent
elsewhere.
Born out of wedlock in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC), Fatoş has been unable to obtain either a TRNC or a Turkish
ID card for years. Arrested (!) for "being in the TRNC without
permission" when she turned 18, Fatoş's situation was resolved after
20 years thanks to the efforts of Turkish and TRNC authorities.
A version of Aziz Nesin's famous novel "Yaşar Ne Yaşar Ne Yaşamaz"
(Yaşar is Living in Limbo) has become a reality in the TRNC. Born 20
years ago in Girne (Kyrenia), Fatoş graduated from high school with
her only official document - her birth certificate. Despite repeated visits
to the relevant authorities, she was unable to obtain citizenship in either
Turkey, where her parents are citizens, or the TRNC. Upon turning 18,
she became an "illegal resident" because she was not a citizen and was
arrested for "being in the TRNC without a residence permit for 853 days."
Her lawyer, Beste Dal, rebelled against the bureaucracy, demanding to
know who would rescue Fatoş, who had been arrested for not having an
ID card and not being declared stateless. She cried, "To whom does this
young girl belong?"
According to information provided by lawyer Beste Dal, Fatoş was born
in Girne in 2005 as a result of an extramarital affair. Both her parents are
Turkish citizens. Fatoş was issued a birth certificate with her stepfather's
surname "Horuz." Her mother left the TRNC in 2008 when Fatoş was
3 years old because she did not have a work permit. In the intervening
years, her mother was unable to return to the TRNC because her
immigration fine had increased to 2,190,000 lira (about $52,000).
Fatoş cries, "Somebody Pass Me The Scissors, Please!!"
Because the mother's signature and presence were required for the
application for Turkish citizenship at the embassy, Fatoş couldn't even
proceed to the official application stage. Lacking her ID, she couldn't
travel to Turkey. Fatoş also tried to apply for citizenship in the TRNC,
the country of her birth and a country she'd never left. The mother's
application requirement again came up against her.
In the intervening years, Fatoş, cared for by her stepfather, graduated
from high school with her only birth certificate and reached the age
of 20. Despite her lawyers' appeals, the TRNC Ministry of the Interior
did not declare Fatoş stateless (!). Had she had a statelessness certificate,
she would have been granted permanent residence in the TRNC.
Last week, Fatoş was arrested during routine police checks on the
grounds that she lacked identification and had resided illegally in the
TRNC for 853 days (the period after she turned 18). The judge ordered
her to remain in police custody until the bureaucratic issues were
resolved in her favor.
Fatoş's lawyer, after the judge's decision to impose an additional seven
days of detention, appeared before the press the day before, declaring,
"We knocked on every door in the bureaucracy; no one answered."
Finally, Turkish and TRNC authorities took the necessary steps to
resolve the 20-year-old problem.
TRNC Interior Minister Dursun Oğuz issued a statement regarding
Fatoş's tragedy, which sparked widespread local media attention,
emphasizing that although she lacked an ID card, she was a natural-
born citizen of the Republic of Turkey. In his second statement, Oğuz
announced the good news. He announced that the Turkish Embassy
had received the official application, consulted with lawyers, and
initiated the ID issuance process. Following the receipt of her ID card,
the TRNC Council of Ministers would grant Fatoş "exceptional
citizenship" at its first meeting.
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