210 foreign investors apply for Turkish citizenship

A total of 210 foreign investors have applied for Turkish citizenship after the country eased the process, the interior minister said on Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency following his visit to Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in Ankara, Süleyman Soylu said: "On Oct. 22, first efforts started for testing. Until Oct. 30, 210 applications were made in Istanbul and Ankara."

Turkey reduced the requirements for foreigners to acquire Turkish citizenship to encourage investment with the new regulations published in the country's Official Gazette on Sept. 19.

In October, the interior ministry had announced that it would open service offices to ease citizenship or long-term residence permit procedures for foreign investors.

The ministry said the offices serve to monitor the applicants' conditions, support investors, provide consultancy and track the applications.

Soylu recalled that the foreigners, who want to be a citizen of Turkey, need to make an investment of $500,000, buy real estate worth $250,000 or create jobs for at least 50 people.

He added that, once the investors who meet the requirements apply for citizenship via the special offices assigned for it -- in various provinces of Turkey --, their procedures would be completed in 45 days.