Unlike previous governments in Turkey, the Erdogan administration made it easy for foreigners to acquire citizenship if they invested or purchased real estate in Turkey. The change, a radical departure from decades-long citizenship and immigration practices, was advertised as a step to attract investment in the Turkish economy.

That also helped many Islamist associates of Erdogan, especially in the Muslim Brotherhood network and its Palestinian offshoot Hamas in various countries, to quickly obtain Turkish nationality. It is not clear how many Muslim Brotherhood members and Hamas militants benefited from this program as the government has not been forthcoming with detailed figures.

Source: Nordic Monitor