Azernews.Az

By News Centre

Türkiye continues to stand firm among the countries confidently preferred not only for trade, investment, and diplomacy, but also for a qualified international workforce. At a time when global uncertainties are escalating and the competition for skilled human resources among nations intensifies daily, Türkiye maintains its position as a primary hub for international talent thanks to its reassuring working environment, robust production infrastructure, and favorable investment climate.

Speaking to Yeni Şafak, Minister of Labor and Social Security Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan disclosed the latest figures reflecting the reversal of the brain drain. Işıkhan stated that over the past five years, a total of 379,441 work permits or work permit exemption certificates have been issued for professionals serving in critical strategic fields—ranging from science and engineering to software development, medicine, academia, and advanced technology. Işıkhan emphasized that by expanding its high-value-adding human resources and integrating them into the economy, Türkiye has significantly boosted its productive power and international competitiveness.

Providing details on the scope of work permits and exemptions, Işıkhan noted that 191,960 work permit certificates were issued over the last five years for professionals such as academicians, physicians, specialists, and members of similar professional occupations.

"We issued 50,013 work permit exemption certificates for qualified professions, including medical and dental specialization trainees, professional soccer players, coaches, athletes, tour operators, cross-border service providers, seafarers, international students, specialists to be employed in military factories and shipyards, and pilots involved in forest fire prevention," Işıkhan explained. "In addition to these, we issued 137,468 work permits for technicians, associate professionals, and auxiliary professional personnel. In total, 379,441 work permits and exemptions were granted over the past five years to meet the skilled employment needs of Türkiye. This has paved the way for these individuals to contribute directly to Türkiye's production, exports, technological transformation, and economic growth. In this context, our Esteemed President’s meticulous approach in international diplomatic processes has played a pivotal role in leading qualified foreign workforces to choose Türkiye."

Highlighting that Türkiye has once again proved to be a safe harbor during a period when regional crises are reshaping global labor movements, Işıkhan added:

"Among the 379,000 work permit and exemption documents issued, there are numerous qualified personnel who chose our country to continue their work after being affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In this regard, more than 15,000 work permits or work permit exemptions were issued to individuals from that region, primarily for IT sector personnel and software developers. Furthermore, 16,759 of these 379,000 documents were issued for sectors requiring advanced technology, thereby fulfilling the skilled workforce demands of Türkiye’s strategic sectors with qualified personnel from all over the world."

Minister Işıkhan also indicated that the total count of over 379,000 issued permits includes data from the International Talent Transfer project, which is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

"Since September 2022, work permits have been issued for a total of 4,921 individuals, a significant portion of whom work in the fields of R&D and technology," Işıkhan stated. "As part of the Türkiye TechVisa program—one of Türkiye's major programs targeting global technology entrepreneurs run in partnership with various ministries—534 tech start-up applications have been received since September 2024. Of these, 107 were deemed eligible, and work permit exemptions were granted to the applying qualified workforce."

Emphasizing that the prestigious Turquoise Card—awarded to high-skilled workers, investors, scientists, artists, and athletes—remains a cornerstone tool of Türkiye's international talent strategy, Işıkhan concluded:

"The Turquoise Card is a prestigious work permit that grants its holder an indefinite right to work, as well as residency rights for their family members. Within this framework, we have issued Turquoise Cards to 58 foreign nationals. The investment volume of the companies owned by, partnered with, or employing these Turquoise Card holders is estimated to exceed $50 billion.

While Türkiye integrates the world’s qualified human capital into its production ecosystem, it continues to offer a safe, strong, and sustainable future for global talents through policies supporting high-value-added investments. In this sense, the Turquoise Card is Türkiye's way of telling foreign nationals, 'You are a part of this country.' The Turquoise Card is not merely a permit; it is a powerful invitation."