"Life in Turkey has become politically very difficult, but also very expensive for a family, so it was easier for me to move here and apply for Macedonian citizenship," 28-year-old Benk Bingjul told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) North Macedonia Service. He has been working as a manager at a cafe in Skopje for several months, which is owned by Turkish businessmen.

It has been two years since he moved from Antalya to Skopje with his Macedonian wife. For this reason, he received a residence permit, and a month ago he applied for Macedonian citizenship. He says he misses his hometown because of the life near the sea and the beach, but life here is cheaper.

"For example, in the store, a common purchase for the home: vegetables, eggs, meat, milk, even if you buy minimally, you have to pay about 280–300 euros. Whereas with this money in Skopje you can fill your old car completely: the trunk, the front seat and the back. In Turkey this is impossible," says Bingjul.

He does not speak Macedonian well, but says he practices with his wife. One of the conditions he must meet, according to Macedonian law, is to pass a Macedonian language proficiency exam.

"I understand Macedonian somewhat, I can read in the Latin alphabet, but not in Cyrillic. I need to learn that," he says.

However, this condition does not apply to those who prove they are of Macedonian descent.

Wave of Turks' requests for Macedonian citizenship

In addition to people like Bingjul, who are seeking Macedonian citizenship due to marriage to a Macedonian citizen, a total of 10.500 Turkish citizens have sought Macedonian citizenship over the past four years on the basis of Macedonian descent, according to data obtained by REL from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP).

According to the Ministry of Interior, these are citizens of Turkey who must prove to Macedonian institutions that they are immigrants from this country and that they have Macedonian ethnic origin.

In its response to the REL, the MUP emphasizes that the reason for the increase in the number of applications for Macedonian citizenship is related to recent legal changes.

"The legal changes of 2021 contributed to an enormous increase in the number of requests for obtaining Macedonian citizenship from expatriates living in the Republic of Turkey," the MUP said.

New definition of “migrant” in the Law on Citizenship

These are changes to the Law on Citizenship proposed by the then government led by the SDSM and DUI coalition.

The then Minister of Internal Affairs, Oliver Spasovski, proposed to the Parliament amendments to the law that would define who is considered an immigrant.

According to the law, the immigrant and his first-generation descendant can acquire Macedonian citizenship without living in the country, without sufficiently knowing the Macedonian language, and without renouncing previous citizenship – a rule that applies to foreign citizens.

"A migrant, within the meaning of this law, is considered a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia who has moved from the Republic of North Macedonia to another country, regardless of gender, race, skin color, national and social origin, political and religious beliefs, as well as wealth and social status," the Law on Citizenship states.

According to the 2021 census, conducted during the period when these legal changes came into effect, 3.9 percent of North Macedonian citizens belonged to the Turkish ethnicity.

Data shows that out of 83.000 ethnic Turks, around 71.000 live in the country, while 12.000 live abroad.

Business, employment and education as motives for migration

The interest of Turkish citizens in staying in the country is also noticeable in everyday life – from shops offering traditional Turkish food to young people strolling in the center of Skopje.

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Analyst Doncho Gerasimovski says that the motive for the increase in demand for Macedonian citizenship by Turkish citizens could be business, employment or education, while according to him, the greatest interest is seen in the business field.

"Take operational construction as an example. How many objects are being built in our country, large and spacious residential buildings, realized by Turkish companies. In order to do this in accordance with the law, they must also regulate their citizenship. Everything is in the interest of businessmen, athletes and those who have more profits here than in their countries," explains Gerasimovski.

He adds that this also affects the ethnic structure of the population.

"All these people, depending on the countries they come from, increase the number of that ethnicity," he says.

With the increase in interest in citizenship, there is also an increase in Turkish capital in the country, namely companies opened by Turkish owners.

Over 4.000 companies established with Turkish capital

According to data that REL received from the Macedonian-Turkish Economic Chamber (MATTO), for 2024 the number of companies registered with Turkish capital by legal and natural persons reaches 4.132.

According to them, the business interest stems from the close Macedonian-Turkish relations.

"They are based on the common historical connection from the Ottoman period, the significant number of emigrants from these lands in the Republic of Turkey, as well as the existing family and cultural ties between the citizens of both countries. Furthermore, the Republic of North Macedonia represents a strategic gateway to the markets of the European Union member states for companies from the Republic of Turkey, which increases its attractiveness as an investment destination," MATTO's response to REL states.

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The number of students coming to the country is also increasing.

According to Professor Kiril Barabareev from the "Goce Delchev" University in Shtip, over the last 12 years, around 900 students from Turkey have enrolled at this university.

"According to the conversations I've had, Turkey has many young people who fail to enroll in their university system and, since private education there is very expensive, they look for universities in the region where they can study," he says.

Macedonian passport and visa-free travel to the Schengen area as a motive

Turkish media, following the events in Montenegro, where in October of this year the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens was temporarily lifted due to a series of incidents, write that North Macedonia has become a new attractive destination for Turkish citizens due to the advantages it offers.

One of the reasons cited is the possibility of visa-free travel to the Schengen area with a Macedonian passport. Also mentioned are the fast and cheap procedure for establishing companies, as well as the affordable living costs – rent, food and transportation – which are lower compared to Turkey.

"Proximity to Europe, even though it is not a member of the EU, the strategic position in the Balkans allows easy access to Europe," the analysis states.

Fewer Turks heading to Montenegro after visa regime

Meanwhile, Montenegro on December 24 lifted visas for Turkish citizens, but reduced the permitted stay from 90 days to 30 days, with the aim, according to the Montenegrin government, of preventing illegal migration and harmonizing with the European Union's visa policy.

According to recent changes to European rules on visa-free travel, adopted last month, the possibility has been opened for a faster suspension of the visa-free regime for countries outside the EU that pose migration or security concerns.

North Macedonia, along with Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Serbia, is part of the group of countries that may face increased monitoring for the implementation of these rules.

Some of the reasons for imposing restrictions may be poor alignment with EU visa policy and investor citizenship programs, the so-called "golden passports", which enable obtaining citizenship without real and demonstrable ties to the country.

Security risks related to hybrid threats are also being examined, including the political use of migration and weaknesses in the security of personal documents, which further complicates the position of third countries that have a visa-free regime with the EU.