Is it possible for a foreigner to adopt a child in Turkey?

Against the background of recent events, many foreigners are interested in the issue of adoption of children left without parental care. At the moment, orphaned children are given only under temporary guardianship to Turkish citizens (kuruyucu aile). This is done in order to be able to find relatives or loved ones who are looking for them. As time passes, it will be decided on the permanent place of residence of children in foster families.

There is no clause in the Turkish Civil Code indicating that adoptive parents must have Turkish citizenship. However, there are some nuances.

Turkey is included in the list of countries that have adopted the Convention of 29.05.1993 on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in the Field of Interstate Adoption, therefore, citizens of participating countries can be foster parents. Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and many other countries are on the list. All the countries that have ratified the Convention can be found at the link. https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=69

Citizens wishing to become foster parents should contact the Department of Family Affairs and Social Affairs (Aile ve Sosyal Hizmetler Müdürlüğü), where they will be provided with all information about the necessary documents and conditions.

Basic provisions:
- Both married couples and single citizens can adopt children
- Adoption is possible after a year of custody of the child
- Adoption includes obtaining permission from biological parents in cases where it is possible.
- Foreigners who do not live in Turkey can become foster parents.
- The adoption decision must be issued by the court