TRProfessor Peter Talloen, who leads excavations at the ancient city of Sagalassos in Burdur, southern Türkiye, and serves as chair of the Archaeology Department at Bilkent University, has recently acquired Turkish citizenship after spending nearly 30 years in the country. Originally from Belgium, Talloen developed an interest in Türkiye during his studies at KU Leuven, where his professor led excavations at Sagalassos. He moved to Türkiye in 1995 and dedicated his academic career to studying ancient cities in Anatolia. Despite a brief return to Belgium for professional reasons, he has since settled permanently in Türkiye, learning Turkish and integrating into local society. Talloen emphasized the importance of learning the language of the country where one works and lives, noting that he and his family completed the necessary procedures to obtain citizenship after delays caused by legal requirements in Belgium and the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed deep appreciation for Türkiye’s rich cultural heritage and the opportunities it provides for archaeological research.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on an individual's personal journey of becoming a Turkish citizen and does not present any overtly biased language, one-sided sourcing, or editorializing. It objectively reports on Talloen's academic contributions, personal decisions, and views on Turkey's cultural heritage, with
