After a long wait, Turkish citizens may finally have a brand new ID that will replace bulky paper documents. Applications were open yesterday in the central city of Kırıkkale, long after authorities first announced the city would be the first to receive new "smart" IDs the size of a credit card.

Kırıkkale, which neighbors capital Ankara, is currently the only city where the IDs will be in use before it becomes compulsory for all citizens to switch to the new cards within three years. The new IDs come with high security to prevent forgery and a data storage chip that will store the fingerprint and other information for every individual. They will also serve as passports for countries with which Turkey has no visa regime.

Turkish citizens will be able to use integrated e-signatures stored in the new IDs when making e-government applications. The cards will have an expiration date of 10 years after issue and will require renewal at the end of this period.