Press Guide

Subsequent to the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on April 23, 1920, one of the first national institutions set up by the then-newly formed Turkish State was the Directorate General of Press and Information. Founded on June 7, 1920 by Atatürk's instructions, the Directorate was at the time simultaneously affiliated with the TGNA and Council of Ministers.

Atatürk wrote in the preamble to the law establishing the DGPI: "Ignoring to establish an organization of politics and ideas for a considerable period of time, which is as powerful as weaponry in defending our national interests, has caused many acts of malice. There is not a single European state that has not set up an as-large-as-possible organization with this objective in mind. On the one hand we have to issue publications with the aim of defending our national and legitimate cause and to constantly scrutinize the foreign press to understand the flow of ideas, while on the other hand we need to issue publications within the nation to produce a union of ideas and spirits as the modern times dictate."

The Directorate, which has had different names under several ministries in the decades after its establishment, attained its own organizational structure with its current name and functions under a decree in 1984. The duties of the DGPI include: (a) to contribute to the promotion policy of the state and to the strategies implemented by the government on this matter; (b) to provide accurate and timely information to the public and relevant state authorities; (c) to ensure that government activities and services are effectively conveyed to the national and international public; (d) to maintain and organise relations with the domestic and foreign media and to take effective measures for facilitating their working conditions and activities.

The DGPI has provincial offices in Adana, Antalya, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Istanbul, İzmir, Trabzon, as well as 23 offices abroad.

Address	Basın-Yayın ve Enformasyon Genel Müdürlüğü (BYEGM) Atatürk Bulvarı No: 203 06688 Kavaklıdere-Ankara
Director General	(0312)468 49 67; 468 49 69
Deputy Director General	(0312)427 55 64; 426 66 43
Deputy Director General	(0312)417 87 12; 418 64 41
News Department	(0312)426 27 01; 427 12 24
Press & Publications Dept.	(0312)427 28 21; 426 00 48
Fax	(0312)468 21 00; 426 66 17
URL	http://www.byegm.gov.tr

Temporary Accreditation
A foreign journalist who is to cover news events in Turkey for a period of less than three months is advised to visit the press officers of the Turkish Embassy in his/her country before departing for Turkey. Consequently, interview requests from the relevant Turkish authorities or other professional demands can be arranged prior to a journalist's travel.

Accreditation and Issuance of Press Cards for Temporary Visits
Foreign members of the media working in Turkey on a temporary basis should apply to the DGPI for press credentials valid for three months.



Documents Required for Temporary Accreditation
· Application Form.
· Letter of authorisation from the applicant’s organization
confirming his/her assignment to Turkey, including the
purpose and length of his/her visit.
· Letter of introduction from the Embassy or Consular Office
(in Turkey) of the country where the organization is based
confirming his/her status as a member of the media.
· Photocopy of passport.
· Three passport-size photographs.

Please Note: The DGPI is authorized to request other documents which may be considered relevant. False statements in the application form or false documents may lead to the cancellation of the Press Card.

Customs Guide
Professional equipment, materials and their spare parts as well as motor vehicles which foreign media members on temporary assignment in Turkey brought in during their assignment in accordance with the rules of declaration and registry are exempt from all customs duties.

Upon the termination of the assignment, a foreign media member must take all these items out of the country; they can neither be transferred nor sold.

Foreign media members on temporary assignment in Turkey who have travelled by their own vehicle to Turkey may leave their vehicles in Turkey should they need to exit and re-enter the country during these three months. However, their vehicles must be parked either on the premises of the Directorate General of Press and Information in Ankara or at one of its provincial offices. In this regard, applications should be made to the DGPI for written permission. Vehicles which are not claimed by their owners after the three-month period is over will be handed over to the Customs Authority. Vehicles should only be driven by a foreign journalist who holds a Certificate of Ownership of the vehicle.

A foreign media member on temporary assignment in Turkey should register his/her professional equipment and materials with the International ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet in order to bring them to Turkey. He/she must take these materials when leaving the country upon the termination of his/her assignment.

Permanent Accreditation (for longer stays)
Members of the foreign media who are assigned to Turkey for a period of more than three months and who have acquired a work visa are considered applicants for "permanent" accreditation.

Accreditation and Issuance of Press Cards for "Permanent" Stays
Members of the foreign media assigned to Turkey should apply to the DGPI for press credentials. An accredited journalist will be issued a Press Card. Accreditations should be renewed annually at the beginning of the calendar year.

Documents Required for Permanent Accreditation
For first time applications and accreditation renewals, the following documents must be submitted to the DGPI:
· Application Form.
· Work visa (a first time applicant must obtain his/her work visa from a Turkish Consular Office abroad prior to his/her visit to Turkey).


· Letter from the applicant’s organization confirming his/her
assignment to Turkey as a journalist and the wage relation
between the applicant and the press organization.
· Letter of introduction from the Embassy or Consular Office
of the country where the organization is based confirming
his/her status as a member of the media.
· Photocopy of the ID and visa pages of the passport.
· Photocopy of the residence permit (for renewals only).
· Three passport-size photographs.
· Clippings or audio/visual tapes of journalistic work in
Turkey (for renewals only).

Please Note: The DGPI Information Department is authorized to request other documents which may be considered relevant. Applications that are not compliant with the Press Card Code will be refused. Following renewal of the Press Card, the expired press card should be returned to the DGPI within a month. Upon the end of assignment in Turkey, the Press Card should be sent back to the DGPI.
“Cancellation of the Press Card”
The Press Card of a journalist will be cancelled if (a) he/she states false information in the application form; or (b) he/she lets another person use his/her Press Card. A new press card will not be issued for a period of three years.

Residence Permit
A first-time applicant should apply in person to the Provincial Security Directorate, Division of Foreigners (İl Emniyet Müdürlüğü, Yabancılar Şubesi) after he/she has been issued a Press Card by the DGPI.

Documents Required for First-Time Applicants of the Residence Permit
· Residence Application Form (4 original copies). The form is
available at the Provincial Security Directorate (İl Emniyet
Müdürlüğü, Yabancılar Şubesi) and DGPI. The forms
should be filled in according to the ID information stated in
the passport. A photo should be affixed to each copy.
· Passport. The work visa should be stamped on the passport.
Foreign journalists should apply to the Provincial Security
Directorate (İl Emniyet Müdürlüğü, Yabancılar Şubesi)
within a month following the issue of their work visa.
· Four recent passport-size photographs.
· Address Declaration Form. Available at the Provincial
Security Directorate (İl Emniyet Müdürlüğü, Yabancılar
Şubesi) and DGPI
· Press Card and a certified copy from a notary or the DGPI.
· Letter of employment, confirming assignment to Turkey,
from the applicant’s organization.
· Documentation fee.

Please Note: Foreign journalists residing in Ankara and Istanbul may extend their residence permit through the DGPI. Family members should apply directly to the Provincial Security Directorate. However, foreign members of the media resident in other provinces should personally apply to the Provincial Security Directorate of their area for the extension of residence permits.


Documents Required for the Extension of the Residence Permit
· Residence Application Form (1 original, 1 copy). A photo
should be affixed to the original copy.
· Two passport-size photographs.
· Certified copy of the Press Card.
· Passport and photocopies of the ID and visa pages. If the
duration of residence is interrupted for more than 6 months,
a new work visa should be obtained from a Turkish
Consular Office.
· Original and one copy of previous residence permit. Permits
should be extended within 15 days after expiry. There is
a penalty for expired permits. A fee will be charged for a
new residence permit after four consecutive extensions. There is a penalty for remaining in Turkey with an expired residence permit.

Customs Guide
A foreign journalist who is accredited and is issued a residence permit may bring in the following items free of customs duties:
· Professional equipment and materials, including spare parts.
· Household goods.
· Office equipment.
· Automobiles and other means of transportation.
Bringing in these items is subject to prior permission of the DGPI which is done on the basis of a franchise document or “Takrir.” All articles brought in by foreign journalists with a franchise document should be duly disposed of by re-exportation, transfer or sale, provided that prior permission is obtained from the DGPI.