Foreign resident?s right to vote and stand for election at local level in decisions of the Council of Europe

At the 20th century witnessed great movement of emigration, international labor migration which has emerged at the process of reconstruction of Europe has followed migration wave that has emerged especially because of World War II. Immigrants, who immigrated to Western European countries as guest workers, do not return back to their states and have become the permanent citizens. In this process, foreign resident?s need for participation to democratic life in the framework of human rights was emphasized in the Congress of Council of Europe Regional and LocalAuthorities. Council of Europe provided for Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level which was opened for signature in 1992 and entered into force in 1997 and recognition of right to vote and stand for election at local level to foreign resident provided that a certain period of residence. Countries, that grant a right to vote and stand for election to foreignresidents, recognize this right with various conditions and constraints. Some of these conditions are a certain period of residence requirement, colonial connections, family ties; the principle of reciprocity, citizens of the states is to have the same official language. Germany, as one of the states with dense population of immigrants and a democratic country, although is a member ofCouncil of Europe and European Union does not grant a right to vote and stand for election to foreign residents. Thus, the reasons for this were worth investigating. As an example of different application, Finland which is a member of Council of Europe and European Union were evaluated as granting a right to vote and stand for election to foreign residents. It is expected that Turkey, due to favorable climatic conditions, as well asgrowing foreign population in the developing economy, will allow immigrants in the population projections for the future. In the future, the right to vote and stand for election at local level will become a current issue with the increasing of foreign residents and so this situation should be evaluated by the Turkish Government. In this context suggestions were made concerning the terms and constraints in terms of right to vote and stand for election to foreign residents by examining Turkish legislation.