SANKO University has an unusual founding heritage. The SANKO Foundation was established by Sani Holding and the Konukoğlu family in 1989. Education, training, and health services were subsequently added to the foundation's mission.

National recognition for the foundation: In 1997, the SANKO Foundation was selected for the "General Foundation" award — recognised among 4,500 other foundations providing education, training, and health services in Turkey. This national-level recognition speaks to the foundation's stature.

The university: On 18 June 2013, SANKO University was established as a private university, headquartered in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.

Exclusively medical and health sciences — a defining feature: SANKO University provides educational services only in the medical and health side — making it one of the few highly specialised medical universities in Turkey. This deep focus has several advantages:

All university resources concentrate on health sciences
Faculty are all specialists in their medical fields
Clinical facilities and labs are deeply medical-focused
Peer cohort is entirely medical-track, supporting collaborative learning

Languages of instruction: Turkish is the primary language of instruction.

Faculties:

Faculty of Medicine (flagship)
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Health Sciences — Nursing, Physiotherapy, Nutrition, Medical Laboratory Techniques

Admission: Verify YÖS requirement directly with the university. Standard requirements: high school diploma with strong GPA (medical programs are competitive), Turkish-language proficiency (since instruction is in Turkish). TÖMER preparation may be offered.

Tuition (annual, international students):

Medicine: approximately $15,000–20,000
Dentistry: approximately $13,000–17,000
Other health-sciences programs: approximately $6,000–10,000

Scholarships: Merit-based scholarships available; given the foundation's mission, generous scholarships may be available for high-achieving students.

Why Gaziantep: Gaziantep is one of Turkey's largest cities in the southeast, with a rich culinary heritage (UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy), strong industrial economy, large Arab community (Syrian refugees + traditional Arab cultural ties), and lower cost of living than Istanbul. The city has multiple major hospitals supporting medical training.

Why SANKO stands out: