Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar granted Turkish Cypriot citizenship
Turkish–American scientist, awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for mapping DNA repair, hailed as a strong advocate for TRNC recognition.
August 4, 2025
Turkish–American Nobel Prize-winning scientist Aziz Sancar has been granted citizenship by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the government announced.
The decision, published in the TRNC Official Gazette, said Sancar will contribute to the country’s development in science, technology and culture, while strengthening international efforts to promote the Turkish Cypriot cause.
Sancar, a frequent visitor to the island and member of the Near East University Synthetic Biology Research and Technology Center’s scientific board, has long voiced support for TRNC’s recognition.
In 2022, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for global recognition of Turkish Cyprus at the UN, Sancar publicly posted a photo wearing a T-shirt reading “TRNC Should Be Recognized.” His ties with the island also include close cooperation with TRNC President Ersin Tatar and research collaboration with Professor Nedime Serakinci, now serving as a presidential health adviser.
A Nobel legacy
Sancar won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking research into DNA repair mechanisms. His discovery of how cells repair DNA damage from sunlight and toxins not only deepened scientific understanding of genetic stability but also paved the way for advances in cancer therapy, genetics, and personalised medicine.
TRNC officials hailed his citizenship as both a symbolic and practical boost to the republic’s scientific and cultural profile, reinforcing his longstanding advocacy for the island’s recognition on the world stage.
