The attention of the Ghana Embassy in Ankara-Turkey was on Tuesday, 21st July, 2020 drawn to a video posted on a YouTube channel “Royal Africtv”, titled “Exclusive interview with the president of African Union Community in Turkey”.

 

2. In the said video, a Ghanaian National, Mr. Julius Kugor speaking as the supposed president of the “African Union Community” in Turkey made some incorrect statements with regards to the processing of passports for Ghanaian residents in Turkey.

3. According to Mr. Kugor, a new law passed last year, require Ghanaians in Turkey who wish to renew their passports (bio-metric or machine­readable) to travel to Ghana to be able to do so, and therefore suggested that the passport processes are cumbersome and stressful.

4. The Ghana Embassy in Turkey would, therefore, like to correct these erroneous claims by Mr. Kugor and also wishes to state categorically as follows:

  • There is NO law that requires Ghanaians in Turkey and its countries of concurrent accreditation to return to Ghana to renew their passports;
  •  All passport applications received by the Ghana Embassy in Ankara or the Ghana Consulate in Istanbul are duly forwarded to Ghana for processing and returned for onward delivery to applicants, between 4 -6 weeks, and NOT THREE (3) MONTHS;
  • Also, with effect from 1st July, 2020., Ghanaians in Turkey and its countries of concurrent accreditation, now have the option of applying for a 38 or 48-page passport booklets for a period of 10 years at reduced fees of €120 and €180 respectively, while, that for minors (under 18 years) still remain at €115. The earlier fee for a 38-page passport booklet was €200.
  • Application forms can be downloaded from the Embassy’s website www.ghanaembassy.com.tr. Completed application forms can be submitted either to the Ghana Consulate in Istanbul or Ghana Embassy in Ankara;
  • Applications must be accompanied with proof of payment, proof of one’s nationality (and this must either be a copy of BIRTH­CERTIFICATE or a copy of BIO-PAGE of old passport);
  • All applications must be submitted with four (4) standard passport size photographs taken full face on a plain background within six (6) months of the date of application without dark glasses or hat. One of the photographs should be certified as true likeness of the applicant by a witness;

5. Ghana Embassy in Turkey hopes that, this will serves as a guide to Ghanaians in Turkey and our countries of accreditation namely, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Ukraine.