President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the employment regulations for citizens of Turkic states. The document was published on October 10 in the official publication Resmî Gazete.

The presidential decree grants ethnic Turks from other countries the right to practice professions and trades on an equal basis with Turkish citizens, TRT Russian reports.

The amendments concern provisions of a 1981 law regulating the employment conditions of Turkic-speaking foreigners in public and private institutions. The main change is that the president himself will determine which Turkic-speaking communities will be eligible to work in Turkey.

The amendments clarify that not all individuals of Turkic descent will have the right to work in Turkey, but only those who:

are unable to pursue their professional or creative activities in their country of citizenship for reasons beyond their control;

are forced to continue living in Turkey due to various circumstances;

have an ethnic and cultural identity distinct from the majority of their country's population.

To obtain a work permit, the following categories of citizens must:

have a residence permit in Turkey;

prove their qualifications and education with documents recognized by Turkish authorities;

have no security restrictions;

register in special registers for foreigners;

be a member of professional organizations, if applicable;

belong to a community recognized as being of Turkish origin by a presidential decree.