He switched allegiance to Turkey on 8 June 2011, changing his name from Paul Kipkosgei Kemboi to Polat Kemboi Arıkan. Normally, he would have to wait for two years following his naturalization to be able to represent his adoptive country internationally, however, it was announced in February 2012 that he had received permission from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to compete for Turkey starting with the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.