THE British Ambassador, Richard Moore, this week took the extraordinary step to issue a statement to British expats who have been left floundering around for information regarding the new residence permits changes.
There has been no official advice or confirmation from the Turkish authorities or the British embassy on the issue – with expats whose permits are now up and due for renewal wondering what criteria they now need.
Each day over the last two weeks, there has been varying advice on the issue from social media forums, this newspaper, and the ordinary member of the public.
So it was late this week, that Mr Moore released a statement on the permit issue. He said: “I know that a lot of you are worried about the lack of clarity surrounding Turkish residence permits at the moment and I wanted to write a short note to explain what we are doing to try to get great clarityabout the new arrangements.
“I know that several of you have run into difficulties while trying to renew your residence permits at some of the local offices of the Turkish national police.”
He said the police had been tasked with the matter as the roll out of foreign units overseen by the Directorate of Migration Management had been delayed.
“But, as will be clear to those of you who have tried to apply, the transition arrangements are not working as they should,” he added.
“Some police offices don’t appear to be accepting any applications at all. Others are accepting renewal applications but appear to be interpreting the regulations in different ways depending on the office. Some ask for certain documents, others don’t.
“We have also heard that inconsistent guidance is being given on the level of health care cover required for residence permit renewal.”
He added this was causing confusion and worry among UK residents, particularly those whose residence permits had or are expiring.
Mr Moore explained that his officers were paying close attention to the problems and the system and lobbying the government departments to explain the problem being caused.
He warned that difficulties and teething problems were expected to be resolved within “weeks rather than days”.