North Cyprus Inform

5+5 plan for citizens knocked back to square one

Plans to bring in a “5+5” procedure for issuing TRNC citizenships to foreigners will be brought on to the new coalition's agenda - but have been stalled by the change of government.

Interior Minister Ozkan Murat confirmed this week that the proposal was being pursued, but officials said the procedure was now back at square one.

Kadri Fellahoglu, head of Parliament's Legal and Political Affairs Committee, said the draft legislation had been on the committee's agenda, but had never been discussed and. was now null and void because of the government transition.

“The legislation will now be sent back to the Interior Ministry for the procedure to start again,” he said.

A ministry official said that once the proposal was returned it would be directed to the Council of Ministers which would forward it once again to Parliament — a process likely to take about two weeks.

Under the “5+5” proposal, announced previously, a foreigner would be granted permanent residency after legally working for five years in the TRNC, and would be eligible for citizenship five years later. A foreigner legally resident in the TRNC for 10 years would also have the right to apply for citizenship.