Military Recruitment Law No. 7179 (Askeralma Kanunu)

What It Governs

Law No. 7179, the Military Recruitment Law (Askeralma Kanunu), governs compulsory military service for male Turkish citizens — the obligation itself, deferrals, the paid alternatives, and the position of naturalised and dual citizens. It replaced the former Military Service Law No. 1111 in June 2019.

Key Provisions for Foreign Nationals

Under Article 4, every male Turkish citizen is obliged to perform military service; women are not subject to conscription. The duty attaches to citizenship rather than residence, so it reaches dual nationals and those naturalised later in life unless an exemption applies.

Article 9 provides the domestic paid route, bedelli askerlik: a statutory fee plus one month of basic training discharges the obligation. For payments made between 1 July and 31 December 2026 the fee is TRY 472,653.60, recalculated every January and July with the civil-servant salary coefficient.

Article 38 lets citizens established abroad — workers, employers, professionals, seafarers and multiple citizens residing abroad — defer their service until the end of the year they turn 35. The deferral is cancelled if the person spends more than half of any calendar year in Turkey.

Article 39 provides dövizle askerlik: after at least three years (1,095 days) of work or residence abroad, the obligation can be discharged by paying the fee in foreign currency through a consulate and completing a short remote training programme.

Under Article 43, persons who acquire Turkish citizenship at 22 or older are deemed to have completed their service, and service performed abroad before naturalisation is credited on proof; Article 43(3) excludes those who acquire citizenship on the basis of descent. Service completed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus counts under Article 44, and bilateral agreements on the mutual recognition of service are honoured under Article 45.