MILITARY SERVICE UNDER SPECIAL STATUS
1. Who is eligible to do military service under special status (paid military service due to living abroad)?
a. The citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus who were born of a Turkish Cypriot mother or father in a foreign country and have been residing in that country or in another where he moved to until the draft age (excluding those residing in Turkey with a dual citizenship (Republic of Turkey – Turkish republic of northern Cyprus)),
b. The citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus who left Cyprus with their parents before the age of 12 and have been residing abroad in the foreign country they settled until the draft age (excluding those residing in Turkey with a dual citizenship (Republic of Turkey – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) meets their obligatory service under special status.
c. In any case, those who moved from TRNC and settled in another country (before date January 2009) and those who have not been registered by the Recruiting Office, roll call evaders, deserters, and fugitives can complete their military service in the context of special status. They can not be blamed with any of these crimes which are stated above.
d. The amended and added articles in military law (59/2000) which were re-arranged on 12 December 2014 have brought forgiveness for citizens living abroad. (Click here for the 59/2000 amended military law [Military Law])
2. How is the application of those who are under this status made?
a. Those who are under this status can apply to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus foreign representation offices.
b. Those who have not applied must apply within 120 days following the date they entered the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for the first time.
Required Documents:
(1) Passport Photocopy
(2) Exit- Entry document from the Immigration Department of the Police
3. What is the military obligation of those who are under this status?
a. Being discharged by paying 3,000 GBP, or
b. Serving for 1 month by paying 1,500 GBP, or
c. Serving for 4 months for those who were younger than 31 on the date of their entry to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for returnees, or
d. Serving for 2 months or being discharged by paying 2,000 GBP, for those who were older than 31 and younger than 49 on the date of their entry to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for returnees, or
e. Those who are no longer eligible for conscription due to their age are exempted from military service (those older than 49).
Required Documents:
(1) 5 photo (small size 2.5x 3.2 cm)
(2) Photocopy of the TRNC ID Card
(3) TRNC Birth Certificate
(4) Exit- Entry document from the Immigration Department of the Police
4. How long can those who are under this status reside in the TRNC before returning for permanent settlement?
a. Military service of citizens who are under special status and declare that they will continue to live abroad permanently are postponed until the date that they decide to move back and live in the TRNC.
b. They have to apply to the Recruiting Office in order to obtain a document which shows their status.
c. Those who are under this status can reside in the TRNC for a total of 120 (hundred and twenty) days in one calendar year. Those who exceed this time period and stay more than 120 days in TRNC are forbidden to leave the TRNC and they are deemed as TRNC residents.
d. Citizens who exceed this time period and stay more than 120 days in TRNC have to apply to the Recruiting Office within 12 months in order to fulfill their military obligation under special status.
5. Do those to whom the provisions of the first article apply, lose their rights if they are in the TRNC for educational purposes until the draft age and stay more than 120 days?
Those to whom the provisions of the first article apply, who are in the TRNC for educational purposes until the draft age and who stay more than 120 days do not lose their rights if:
a. They reside abroad for a total of seven years, and
b. Their mother and/or father do(es) not reside in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for more than a total of 120 days in a year within the period until the draft age of their child.
6. What is paid military service due to completion of higher education?
Those who were citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the date they reached the draft age, and who were employed abroad for four years following their graduation from a school or faculty (the term of study of which is at least 3 years) by postponing their military service obligation every year by applying to the Recruiting Office (the academic period of time of the graduate study abroad is deducted from the aforementioned duration of employment provided that one graduates); or who graduated by completing their doctoral studies have the right to complete their military service under the paid military service status.
7. How do citizens lose their rights to do paid military service that they gained by being professional sportsmen?
Those who can not gain right to do paid military service by having a post graduate diploma can apply TRNC Military Recruitment Office with professional their military service every year and live abroad for more than 9 years in order to do paid military service.
8. What is the obligation of those who are under the paid military service status due to completion of higher education and their professional sports career?
They can fulfill their obligation by paying 4000 GBP and serving for 1 month or by paying 2000 GBP and serving for 15 days initially and paying the outstanding 2,000 GBP within the following 15 months at the latest and serving for the remaining 15 days.
9. How can the entitlement to the paid military service status due to completion of higher education be lost?
The entitlement to the paid military service status due to completion of higher education can be lost if:
a. Those who graduated from an academic institution approved by the ministry in charge of education and teaching fail to apply for reserve officer pre-candidacy within one year following their graduation date,
b. One fails to have the necessary registrations made by applying to the Recruiting Office within three months following the date higher education postponement ends and becomes a pre-registration draft evader,
c. One fails to attend the reserve officer roll-call and becomes a pre-registration draft evader (or attends a roll-call but becomes an absentee thereafter),
d. One stays more than 120 days in TRNC while working in another country.
10. How do paid military service roll call take place?
a. last roll call for potential applicants occur every year (two times in a year), according to dates that are set by Security Forces Command.
b. Roll call dates announced by using press and publication channels.
c. Those who will attend to roll call must be at announced place at announced time with the required documents. Those who will not attend will count as roll call fugitive and lose their paid military rights.
11. How citizens can apply for paid military service?
Those who graduate from a school which gives applicants the rights to become reserve officer can apply for paid military service if they obey their obligations. They can apply via TRNC embassy, consulate, representative or visiting TRNC Recruitment Office.
12. How many ways are there of doing paid military service?
a) In private status, those who went abroad to live before 12 years old and citizens who were born abroad,
b) Those who worked abroad for 4 years after graduating from university,
c) Those who did PhD after university,
d) Those who are professional sportsmen and were living abroad for 9 years,
13. When citizens can get their military completion document?
Citizens that complete their paid military service can get their military completion document after 15 months (liable military period)