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Turkey: Documentation required from a student to be able to defer military service for one year; whether additional documentation must be forwarded to the government during the academic year to prove that the student is attending lectures and writing exams; whether this policy applies uniformly to all academic institutions in Turkey, including the open education program at Anadolu University

When a student is called to register or be examined for military service, a deferment may be requested and granted (Netherlands July 2001, 26). If attending school outside the country, this can be done by presenting an official transcript and verification of enrolment from the academic institution to the Turkish embassy in the country of residence (Lehigh University n.d.). The same information is sent to the Military Service Bureau in Turkey, which then issues an official statement indicating that the student's request for deferment from military service has been approved for the coming academic year, if the school is in Turkey (Koç University 18 Aug. 2003). The official statement must then be presented to the academic institution in Turkey before the student can be fully registered into the program (ibid.; Fatih University n.d.).

Since deferment for academic purposes is only granted for a period of one year, a student can apply at the end of the academic year to extend the period of deferment for a subsequent year, upon the "production of the requisite documents," or, in some cases, "following a course of study or training until the end of the year in which they reach the age of 29" (Netherlands July 2001, 26).

According to the First Secretary of the Embassy of Turkey, in Ottawa, the rule is that all academic institutions in Turkey recognized by the Higher Education Council, which is responsible for education beyond the high school level, are required to issue a declaration verifying that the individual named in the document will be a student at their institution during the coming academic year for which the start and end dates are specified (29 Aug. 2003). This document must then be forwarded to the relevant government office for military service to be deferred (Turkey 29 Aug. 2003). Additional documentation may be required during the school year in exceptional cases, but this is not the general practice (ibid.).

Additional information indicating that documentary proof must be forwarded to the government during the academic year to demonstrate that the student is attending lectures and writing exams could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

An article in The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Learning of Anadolu University, that was authored by the Dean of the Open Education Faculty, indicates that the university offers open education, which is also referred to as distance education, and that a "considerable portion of male students that enrol [in] the Anadolu University distance education system are believed to have [done so for] the purpose of deferring their military service" (Anadolu University Jan. 2001). The Dean adds that those who do enrol for this reason "either drop out or [are] dismissed from the [open education] system" (ibid.).

Please refer to TUR34520.E of 8 June 2000 and TUR34964.E of 18 July 2000 for additional information on deferment of military service for academic reasons in Turkey.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Anadolu University. January 2001. The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Learning. Vol. 2, No. 1. Dr. Ali Ekrem Ozkul. "Anadolu University Distance Education System: From Emergence to 21st Century." <http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde3/2/ekremtxt.htm> [Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]

Fatih University. n.d. "Admission and Registration: Application Procedure and Admission Requirements." <http://www.fatih.edu.tr/en/prospective/prosp_adm.html> [Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]

Koç University. 18 August 2003. "Undergraduate Information." <http://www1.ku.edu.tr/main/home.php?I=619&c=205&m=617&s=1&p=1> [Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]

Lehigh University. n.d. Turkish Students Club. "New Students." <http://www.lehigh.edu/~inturkey/newto/htm> [Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]

The Netherlands. July 2001. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for Movements of Persons, Migration and Consular Affairs, Asylum and Migration Division. Turkey/Military Service. <http://www.ecoi.net/pub/ms59/neth-tur0701.pdf> [Accessed 8 Apr. 2003]

Turkey. 29 August 2003. Embassy of Turkey, Ottawa. Telephone interview with the First Secretary.

Additional Sources Consulted

Defense and Foreign Affairs Handbook
Dialog/WNC
Europa World Year Book 2002
IRB Databases
The Middle East and North Africa 2003 (Europa Publications)
Turkey (Lonely Planet)

Internet sites, including:

Al Bawaba
Amnesty International
Asylum Law
BBC
Center for Defense Information (CDI)
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2002
European Country of Origin Information Network
Human Rights Watch
Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA)
Middle East Times
Norwegian Refugee Council
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Turkey, Ministry of National Defence (in Turkish)
Turkish Daily News
United Kingdom, Immigration and Nationality Directorate

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Topics: Military service,