YÖK held an online meeting with universities' international student offices on 17 July 2025, at 10.30 on international students' residence permit application procedures. The meeting's agenda consisted of residence permit application processes of the international students studying in Türkiye, the dificulties faced during these processes and the new rules and regulations.

The meeting led by Mr. Mustafa EFE, Head of YÖK’s International Relations Department, brought together staff from YÖK and representatives from the International Student Offices of over 250 universities across Türkiye. Our university was represented by Süleyman ÇELİK from the Student Affairs Department and Lecturer Dr. Sinem KOPARMAL from the International Relations Application and Reseach Centre.

The meeting focused on improving the residence permit procedures for international students—making them faster, more efficient, and easier to manage. Common challenges faced by universities and practical solutions were also discussed.

In his opening remarks, Mr. EFE talked about the new "Foreign National Identification Number (YKN)" system introduced on July 1, 2025. While there were initial issues, the process has become much smoother and quicker. He emphasized YÖK’s priority of minimizing bureaucratic hurdles for international students and ensuring a secure and efficient process.

Mr. EFE also addressed a key problem: students registering through power of attorney from abroad were unable to get a YKN, affecting their ability to complete other official procedures. He announced that thanks to collaboration with the Directorate of Migration Management, universities can now help such students obtain a YKN through local migration offices—even if the student is not yet in Türkiye.

In the second half of the meeting, university representatives asked questions and shared issues from the field. Mr. EFE answered many of them, while others requiring further coordination were noted for follow-up.

The meeting was considered productive, helping strengthen cooperation and build more solution-focused communication among all parties involved.