Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications on Friday shut down allegations of issuing citizenships and identity cards to immigrants before the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14.
In its weekly bulletin released to counter disinformation, the directorate debunked the claim that the Directorate of Migration finalized the citizenship applications of immigrants “way too quickly” as election lists were being announced.
“The Directorate of Migration evaluates processes only in regards to foreigners in line with the 6458 Law of Foreigners and International Protection; it does not have the mission or the authority to grant Turkish citizenships as it is being claimed,” the bulletin read.
Citing the constitutional article that stipulates only Turkish citizens are eligible to vote, the directorate also dispelled rumors that traffic between the Directorate of Migration and the Supreme Election Council (YSK) “sped up” during the period when voter lists were being made public.
It further rebutted a broadly circulated picture on social media platforms. “The claim that immigrants were granted Turkish identity cards before elections also does not reflect the truth,” it said.
“The picture in question was confirmed to have been edited. The original picture shows a Pakistani national, Amanatullah Ali, who was photographed at the Bagram Detention Facility in Afghanistan,” it said. “The edited picture was found to have been shared previously by accounts affiliated to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) for manipulation.”