TN 31 (08-05)

A. Background

All official vital statistics records are kept in the census(nufus) records which contain evidence of age, marriage and death. Divorces are registered only if requested by one of the parties. The records include Muslims and non-Muslims and go back to 1906 when the first census was conducted.

Generally, civil birth records are available only for individuals who were Turkish citizens at birth. Hellenic or ethnic Greeks and Armenians were generally not considered Turkish citizens. (See GN 00307.521 for records for ethnic Greeks who left Turkey before 1923.) However, if both parents were born in Turkey after January 1, 1929 (regardless of their citizenship), the child is considered a native-born Turkish citizen and there is a birth record.

B. Procedure

1. General

Do not ask a claimant born in Turkey to get a religious record. Ask him to get a Nufus Kayit Ornegi(see GN 00307.897A.2.) if he was born in Turkey but does not have a civil birth record in his possession. Tell him to ask specifically that the recordation date be shown.

If a claimant submits a civil or religious birth record, evaluate it using the guides in GN 00307.897 and GN 00307.898.

2. SSA-2111-U3-FC Requests

Attach a copy of the claimant's request to the Turkish diplomatic office (if available), or its response, to the SSA-2111-U3-FC.