Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar becomes citizen of Turkish Cyprus
NICOSIA
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Aziz Sancar has been granted citizenship of Turkish Cyprus by a decision of the country’s Council of Ministers.
Known for his affinity for the island and engagement with its academic community, Sancar has visited frequently over the years, giving lectures in schools and serving on the scientific board of the Synthetic Biology Research and Technology Center at Near East University.
Sancar has actively voiced his support for the international recognition of Turkish Cyprus. The official decision anticipates his upcoming contributions to science, technology and culture in the country, as well as his role in advancing the cause of recognition.
In 2022, shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for global acknowledgement of Turkish Cyprus at the United Nations General Assembly, Sancar publicly supported the appeal, posting a photo wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “[Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] TRNC Should Be Recognized” on social media.
His ties to the island deepened through mutual acquaintances with Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, notably via Professor Nedime Serakıncı, a former collaborator of Sancar and now a presidential health adviser.
Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Turkish Cyprus declared independence in 1983 and has only been recognized by Ankara since. Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence.
Sancar, who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside American and Swedish colleagues, continues to voice his support for the international recognition of Turkish Cyprus.
