Well-known photographer and content creator Bora Markovic has been waiting 30 years for Cypriot citizenship, despite living in the country since the 1990s and using his work to promote Cyprus and its natural beauty internationally on social media.
His naturalisation applications have been rejected one after another, due to what AKEL MP Christos Christofides describes as a bureaucratic gap. Christofides raised the issue with the Interior Minister, and Konstantinos Ioannou has left open the possibility of granting honorary naturalisation, provided the conditions and criteria are met.
According to Christofides, Markovic has lived in Cyprus for the past 30 years, arriving at the age of ten, and is fully integrated into society, promoting the country internationally through his photographic work. “His application… is repeatedly rejected due to a bureaucratic gap,” Christofides said, referring to a gap in his residence permit dating back to the 1990s, when Markovic was a minor.
Christofides noted that the state has the legal discretion to grant naturalisation by exception for reasons of public interest, and called on the responsible minister to inform the House of Representatives on what stage the review of the case has reached, and whether there is any intention to refer it to the Council of Ministers on humanitarian, symbolic or public interest grounds.
How the responsible minister responds
In a response dated July 13, 2026, the minister said the conditions and qualifications for naturalisation are explicitly regulated by articles 111(1) and 111B of the Civil Registry Law. He added that, under article 111A, the Council of Ministers may, in exceptional cases, permit the honorary naturalisation of a foreign national for reasons of public interest, with the terms and conditions for such honorary naturalisation set out in Regulations 379/2020 and 392/2025.
On this specific case, Ioannou noted that Markovic’s most recent application was submitted on November 28, 2019, and rejected on May 3, 2023, with the reasons for rejection communicated to him in detail in a relevant letter. He added that, since no new application is currently pending before the ministry, no further action can be taken at this stage.
Ioannou said that, given the time that has passed since Markovic’s last application, the facts assessed during that review may since have changed. “Should Markovic wish to do so,” and provided the legal conditions and qualifications for naturalisation or honorary naturalisation are met, he may submit a new application, which would be examined based on the facts and legal framework in force at the time of that review, the minister said.
What the criteria are
According to the relevant Regulations, honorary naturalisation for reasons of public interest may be granted to:
- People who are children of Greek nationals killed while fighting to protect the Republic of Cyprus during the Turkish invasion of 1974, following a recommendation from the Ministry of Defence
- People who have provided high-level services to the Republic in the context of interstate and diplomatic relations, following a recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Academics and scientists conducting long-term research in the Republic or presenting a body of scientific work on Cyprus spanning many years, following a recommendation from the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts
- Figures from the arts and culture who have provided exceptional services to Cyprus through their work, following a recommendation from the Deputy Ministry of Culture
- Athletes for their participation in the Republic’s national sports teams, following a recommendation from the Cyprus Sports Organisation
- Clergy holding the highest ranks within the churches of the Republic’s religious groups, following a request from representatives of religious groups in the House of Representatives