ANKARA (Sputnik) — Syrian refugees not involved in terrorist activities may be granted Turkish citizenship, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Monday.
"The Turkish Interior Ministry continues to work on the issue of granting citizenship to Syrian refugees. It is those Syrians that can serve as a bridge to Syria and be of use to our country that will be able to become Turkish citizens. They shouldn't be involved in terrorist activities," Kurtulmus said at a press conference in Ankara.
Candidates for citizenship will face a long screening process carried out by intelligence agencies and security checks to see if they have a criminal record. Priority will be given to those who previously invested in Turkey or somehow contributed to its society.
Turkey has an estimated Syrian refugee population of over 2.5 million.
