Dr. Oz To Renounce Turkish Citizenship If Elected To U.S. Senate

PENNSYLVANIA — After criticism from a campaign rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz has vowed to give up his Turkish citizenship if he is elected to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.

The move came after his chief rival for the Republican Senate nomination, former hedge fund manager David McCormick, noted that the celebrity surgeon's dual citizenship could hinder his ability to participate in intelligence matters.

McCormick on Wednesday held a press call with Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sullivan warned that Oz's Turkish citizenship could limit the information he would be able to receive in the Senate on foreign nations.

"My dual citizenship has become a distraction in this campaign,” Oz said in a statement. “I maintained it to care for my ailing mother, but after several weeks of discussions with my family, I’m committing that before I am sworn as the next U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania I will only be a U.S. citizen.”

A recent Franklin & Marshall College poll had Oz trailing McCormick in the GOP primary race to succeed retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, but a majority of Republican voters were undecided in the survey. The primary will be held on May 17.

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