Türkiye warns citizens volunteering for Israeli army may lose citizenship
Deputy chair of Türkiye's governing AK Party says serving in a foreign army without state approval is grounds for citizenship revocation under Turkish law.
Türkiye has issued a clear warning to its citizens following reports that some individuals have volunteered to serve in the Israeli army.
Speaking at a press conference in Ankara on Friday, Ozlem Zengin, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, reminded that Turkish law explicitly prohibits citizens from joining foreign armies without formal state approval.
“Voluntary service in a foreign army without the authorisation of the Republic of Türkiye constitutes grounds for the loss of citizenship,” Zengin said, citing provisions in the nationality law.
She presented Interior Ministry figures showing that 29,178 Jewish citizens live in Türkiye, of whom 1,568 also hold Israeli citizenship. These include 426 Turkish nationals with Israeli citizenship and 1,142 Israeli nationals who later acquired Turkish nationality, covering men, women and children.
Investigation
So far, only one person has faced trial in Türkiye for voluntary service in the Israeli army, while two other cases are under investigation, Zengin noted.
“Revoking citizenship is possible under current legislation, but it requires solid evidence and official verification,” she added.
Zengin also stressed that Israel applies the same visa policy to Jewish citizens from Türkiye as it does to other Turkish nationals, emphasising, “There is no exemption based on religion or ethnic origin.”