Yasmin Franz was born in Germany and has dual citizenship. She is a Turkish national and a German citizen by birth. For reasons beyond her control, Franz was denied a German passport by the Turkish authorities when she went to Turkey to study. Now, four years after her graduation, she has finally received her Turkish citizenship. She has also received German citizenship by birth and wishes to remain with her Turkish partner and acquire a German passport for both her nationality and her partner’s nationality.
As a dual citizen, Franz has the right to live and work anywhere in the world that she wishes. Her situation does not make it necessary for her to reveal her Turkish citizenship status when applying for a new job in Germany. Her German partner would have the same rights as well. If she were forced to reveal her Turkish citizenship, it would present problems during the application process for getting access to funds or other services that require a bank account in that country. In addition, there would be severe consequences for her children should she ever need to visit Turkey or her family home in that country. Her partner also needs access to funds for college and other living expenses in both of their countries.
At the age of seventy-one, Franz was denied access to the doctor of her choice in Germany because she lacked the required two years of residency within the country. The reasoning behind this action is that she lacks sufficient age of “adequate” citizenship in Germany. In fact, according to the Turkish Law, every adult who reaches the age of eighteen in the country and has been continuously registered for more than six consecutive years must be registered with a valid passport in order to qualify for the opportunity to travel abroad. The lack of a Turkish Passport by Franz makes her eligible to apply for medical care in Turkey only if she is residing in that country or having access to funds there.