Renowned Nobel Laureate from Turkey Aziz Sancar is now officially a citizen of Turkish Cyprus.
Sancar, who is well known in the breakaway island nation for his work in their academic circles – and for his love for the area – has been visiting the place for years on-and-off, where he has served many positions – from serving on the Near East University’s Synthetic Biology Research and Technology Center’ science board to lecturing in academic institutions. He is also known for actively advocating Turkish Cyprus to be recognized internationally.
Sancar has been awarded the honor of becoming a Turkish Cyprus citizen on the basis of his current and future contributions to the fields of culture, technology and of course science – along with advocacy for the yet-to-be-recognized nation.
Sancar notably supported Turkish President Erdoğan’s call for globally acknowledging the nation of Turkish Cyprus at the UN General Assembly. He did show by wearing a shirt which said “TRNC Should Be Recognized” which was posted by him on social media as well as extensively photographed.
He enjoys a deep friendship with Ersin Tatar, the President of Turkish Cyprus, and academician-turned-health-advisor Nedime Serakıncı.
Sancar was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2015, along with his Swedish and American colleagues.
