When I last left you, in 2016, the Karagöz puppets were all abuzz about last names. Specifically, they were chattering about how women cannot easily choose their last names in Türkiye and how this is different in the United States. Of special note was that M’lady‘s husband really DIDN’T want her to change to his last name, given his feminist leanings. You can read all about that kerfluffer-kerflutter over here.
Fast forward to summer 2023. M’lady and her husband are happily nesting in Provincetown, Massachusetts, United States with their beloved dog Pepper (today is his 6th birthday). With her Turkish citizenship application underway for real this time, M’lady faces a conundrum. Her name in English is, shall we say “Jane Doe,” in which “Doe” is her maiden last name. However, on her Aile Cüzdanı (or official family card held by the household head, aka M’lady’s husband) she is listed as “Jane TurkishLastName” as maintaining one’s maiden last name is not done unless through a complicated court process. That means that in the Turkish government’s data system, Jane Doe does not exist.
So what will become of all of the documents reporting on “Jane Doe” that are submitted with M’lady’s citizenship application?The “certificate of good conduct” is one, testimonial letters from two Turks are also included as are family support letters. There’s a chance that the whole application will be rejected and she will have to change her name – but we are taking the chance. Karagöz himself, that trickster extraordenaire, is cackling vehemently at the idea that the red tape machine would cause us to go through this process twice!
Kenne, the Queen of manners puppet piped in just now – let us know that there is a whole industry around helping women change their last names to their partner’s last name – and seems pretty much targeted to straight people too – take this website: http://www.missnowmrs.com. (Insert eye roll).
So, as the Karagöz puppets stir and wake themselves after a 7 year sleep from regular blog chat, they are finding that the cross-cultural marital road trip they loved so much is still going strong at almost 20 years together. Stay tuned for what happens with the citizenship application!!!