It is possible to retrieve a Turkish Republic identity number (T.C. kimlik numarası) using a person’s parents’ names. The Turkish national identification system began on October 28, 2000, when the MERNIS system, managed by the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, was launched. Under this system each citizen is assigned a unique 11-digit number.
Purposes of the system:
- Prevent confusion caused by similar names among citizens.
- Enable rapid and reliable identity verification.
- Ensure a single, consistent number is used for all civil procedures from birth onward, which became essential with the rise of online services.
- Facilitate information exchange about citizens among public institutions.
Turkish identity numbers include a simple and effective checksum. The units digit of the sum of the first 10 digits corresponds to the 11th digit. This design allows for roughly 900 million valid identity numbers. The first person recorded in MERNIS was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, who was assigned the number 10000000146.
The system was created so people can carry out identity-based tasks securely and conveniently in the modern world. To find a person’s T.C. identity number, searches can be performed using the mother’s and father’s names through the official search engine of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs.
How to Search a T.C. Identity Number Using Parents’ Names
To search by parents’ names, visit the official website of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs. Enter the required information in the site’s search tool to perform the lookup.
After accessing the system:
- Enter the mother’s and father’s full names in the required fields.
- Provide personal identity details such as date and place of birth.
- If available, enter the national identity card serial number.
- When the search is completed, the T.C. identity number will be displayed if the provided details match records.
I Don’t Know My T.C. Identity Number — What Should I Do?
You can find your T.C. identity number by visiting the official website of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs and performing an online search with personal details. While searches that include parents’ names are supported, knowing only the parents’ names is generally not sufficient due to security measures.
If the number cannot be found online, make an appointment at the nearest Population Directorate to resolve identity issues. Staff there can assist with lost identity documents and related procedures. If the identity card is available, the 11-digit T.C. number is printed at the top of the card.
How Is a T.C. Identity Number Assigned?
Citizens are not required to apply for a T.C. identity number—the General Directorate automatically assigns one to every Turkish citizen. Everyone has a number whether they know it or not. People who obtain Turkish citizenship later are issued a T.C. identity number upon completion of their naturalization process; no separate step is usually required.
Foreign nationals residing in Turkey for more than six months receive a Foreign Identity Number from the General Directorate. Those who have completed the necessary visa and residency steps can query that number through the Directorate’s official services.
Can a T.C. Identity Number Be Changed?
Changing a T.C. identity number requires a court action. The General Directorate states that “a Turkish Republic identity number is assigned once and cannot be changed.” Because of this policy, courts rarely approve changes unless strong, essential reasons and convincing evidence are presented. Only circumstances of vital importance are typically considered.
How Is the T.C. Identity Number Determined?
The T.C. identity number is not entirely random. A publicly discussed algorithm governs the check digits. The units digit of the sum of the first 10 digits determines the 11th digit. Additional relationships among digits are used to validate the 10th digit: certain weighted sums of odd- and even-position digits produce values whose units digits correspond to the check digits. These checksum rules help detect entry errors.
What Can Be Done with a T.C. Identity Number?
The range of uses for the T.C. identity number is wide. It is required in most official and many private transactions today. Common uses include:
- Identity verification for online purchases.
- Issuing credit cards and accessing online banking or cardless banking services.
- Including identity numbers on contracts and official documents alongside names and signatures.
- Accessing government e-services that require the T.C. identity number.
- Applications and exams managed by national education and exam institutions.
- Hospital registration and medical records.
- Remote identity checks such as criminal background inquiries when the physical ID is not present.
- Membership and registration processes for institutions, unions, and NGOs.
What Happens If Someone Else Has My T.C. Identity Number?
Unauthorized possession of a T.C. identity number poses risks. While the number alone usually cannot enable major acts like legally establishing a company in another person’s name, it can be used to access some personal information and facilitate fraudulent actions, especially when combined with other personal data. Possession of the number may expose details such as registered address, parents’ names, workplace, or ownership of real estate in some contexts.
Malicious use can cause security problems. There is no general service that allows people to hide their identity number from state records—public authorities retain and use these numbers. In online transactions, risks arise when identity numbers are combined with card details; fraudsters who obtain both can misuse payment cards.
Another common problem is the unauthorized enrollment of individuals in political parties, societies, or associations. Such memberships may be reviewed during public employment background checks, so individuals should monitor records via official e-services. If unauthorized memberships occur, they can generally be canceled through the same online channels. That said, obtaining a T.C. identity number solely by searching parents’ names is not straightforward; additional personal information is usually required, so parents’ names alone are typically insufficient for unauthorized access.