The first of the International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Awards, organized for the fifth time this year, was held at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the second in Albania again with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the third at the Presidential Complex with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the fourth at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University with the participation of Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu. 

The fifth International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Awards Ceremony and the Opening of the 2024-2025 Academic Year, held on November 12, 2024, was conducted at Lavanta Tepesi Hotel with the participation of the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş.

The ceremony began with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem.  Then, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Zeki Nacakcı, Director of MAKÜ Turkish Music State Conservatory, the Anatolian Mosaic show, blended with the music and dances of all our country's distinguished regions, was presented.

Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar made a speech emphasizing the development of the university and the value Mehmet Akif Ersoy holds for the country. Dalgar stated that the university has taken on the task of conveying Akif's ideals to young generations. 

Rector Dalgar; “The best thing we can do for Âkif's memory is to work very hard!”

Rector Dalgar, providing information about the work done from the establishment of MAKÜ to the present, said the following about the V. International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Award Ceremony; “Today, Mehmet Âkif, in whose name we organize awards, is one of our most important common values who wrote the national consensus text of our country and nation. Today, under the roof of our university bearing his name, we have gathered to commemorate his precious memory and to reward valuable works that stand out in the fields of science, culture, and art, in his name. We have not forgotten Akif, nor will we. The best thing we can do for his memory is to convey his ideals to new generations, to raise young people of Asım's Generation in his own words, and to work very hard for this country and humanity. This is what we sincerely care about as a university. Established in 2006 with 3 Faculties, 5 Vocational Schools, and 1 School, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, as of 2024, has reached 13 faculties, 4 schools, 13 vocational schools, and 31 Research Centers, with nearly 35,000 students and nearly 2,000 academic and administrative staff, it is a young and strong university at the age of 18.”  stating that the university has made great strides in a short time and has become one of the most preferred universities among those established in the same period.

MAKÜ, One of 22 Universities with 5-Year Institutional Accreditation

“As universities, we have the responsibility to lead the transformation as innovative and agile structures that can provide their students with the requirements of the age, have achieved digitalization and internationalization.” Saying Rector Dalgar, with this sense of responsibility at the university, they have doubled their collaborations with different countries in recent times, and have achieved a significant rise in world university rankings. By integrating artificial intelligence education into all its departments, it has become a model taken as an example in applied education; stating that they have certified this competence with quality-focused institutional accreditation success, Rector Dalgar said, “Our university is one of the 22 universities with 5-Year Institutional Accreditation given by the Higher Education Quality Board to a limited number of universities that meet certain criteria. As a result of the policy aimed at supporting the potentials of the region where universities are located in line with Turkey's development goals, our university was selected as a Regional Development Focused Specialization University in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry in 2016. With dozens of projects we have carried out, important solutions have been produced for many structural problems of not only our region but also our country's agriculture and animal husbandry sector. Due to these works we have done, we recently received the “Outstanding Achievement Award” in the “University-Business World Cooperation” category from the hands of our President.” He spoke.

Rector Dalgar; “MAKÜ Continues to Increase Its Recognition on a Global Scale”

Speaking about the applied education model implemented at MAKÜ, Rector Dalgar also mentioned the Active Living Campus project, “Almost every day a sports event takes place at our university. In this context, in the recently announced Times Higher Education 2024 University rankings, our university: ranked in the top 1500 in the world in research quality; and in the top 800 in the world in the categories of quality education, social impact, and sustainability, thus increasing its recognition and brand value not only regionally but also globally.” he said.

Rector Dalgar: “We present these awards on behalf of all Turkey.” 

Stating that they present the International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art awards not only on behalf of the university but on behalf of all Turkey, Rector Dalgar said, “I wholeheartedly congratulate our scientists, artists, and writers who are deemed worthy of the award. I thank those who contributed to the organization and our esteemed award committee. I also wish mercy from Allah for our late Mehmet Doğan teacher, who recently passed away and devoted his life to telling about Mehmet Akif.” he said.

Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan; “MAKÜ is a University Worthy of the Late Akif Whose Name It Bears” 

Then, Burdur Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan also spoke; “It is our source of pride to commemorate Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the Poet of the Homeland and Burdur Deputy, who formed the spiritual front of the War of Independence won under the leadership of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and to keep his inspiring legacy alive.

Since 2006, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University has been adding value to both Burdur and our country by keeping the name and ideals of our esteemed poet alive, with its educational infrastructure, academic staff, and national-international projects.” she said.

Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş: “There are many similarities between the period Âkif lived in and today!”

In his speech, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş said; “Mehmet Âkif Ersoy is a great poet, a master of literature, and a pinnacle name who uses Turkish perfectly. However, what makes him Mehmet Akif are not only these features; he is also a prominent figure with his contributions to the national liberation struggle. With his poems, sermons, and oratory power, he called the people to the ranks of the national struggle, emphasizing independence and freedom as indispensable elements of the national character.

One of the fundamental concepts of Âkif's intellectual world is national unity and togetherness, which includes living together with differences and unity of heart. Âkif set an example by stating that the Turkish nation, as the heir of an empire, sees differences as a richness and has no other option but to live together.” he said.

Stating that there are great similarities between the conditions of the period Akif lived in and what he felt and the current period, Kurtulmuş continued:

“First of all, the main backbone of Âkif's thought is the idea of independence. Independence has two legs; independence and freedom. Independence is one of the most fundamental characteristics of this nation. At the core of the concept of independence that Akif put forward with his poems, ideas, and speeches, on one side is independence, and on the other side is freedom, which is the indispensable condition of that independence. Without being free, without being independent, independence has no meaning. Therefore, we must underline that he is a great thinker who melted these two in a pot within the concept of individual and societal independence and freedom.

One of the most fundamental concepts of Akif's intellectual world is national unity and togetherness. Living together with differences is actually one of the most fundamental elements that make a nation a nation. Especially for a nation like the Turkish nation, which is the heir of an empire, hosting almost everything that existed in the 4-5 million square kilometers of the empire area on today's Anatolian lands, there is no other option but to live together and turn differences into a tool of richness.

Yesterday's imperialists have come to our geography again, only changing names and qualities, lining up aircraft carriers and warships against a tiny piece of land like Gaza, executing genocide on a people using the most superior warfare capabilities in the world. Those who execute the genocide are not only Netanyahu and his gang of Israel. Those who assist, support this genocide, with their armies and politics, including the UN, with the support they provide internationally, are exactly the same as yesterday's imperialists. Yesterday they came with another guise, another name, today they come with another name. The game never changes. Again in this geography, for example, when the Ottoman Empire had to withdraw from Palestinian lands in 1917, the first thing the British did was to make room for Jewish settlers in Palestinian lands. Today, the most important thing those who give unconditional support to Israel do in this geography is to watch Israel's land occupations, prepare the ground for it, and support it. The game never changes. To break the game, with Allah's permission, we are present with all our will as Turkey and we strive to continue this struggle." he said.

The Facsimile Edition of the Safahat Book Was Introduced

MAKÜ Mehmet Akif Ersoy Research and Application Center realized the facsimile edition of the Safahât book belonging to our Independence poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy and it was introduced at the ceremony. This special edition, printed both in Turkish and Ottoman, distinguishes itself from other editions by being presented in its original size and without any changes. The work, published by the publishing house established by MAKÜ, also holds the distinction of being the first book of the university's publishing house.

8 Awards in 4 Categories Were Given

After the speeches, the 5th International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Awards Ceremony took place. 

The awards were presented by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş in the Special Award Category; to the Founder and Honorary President of the Turkish Writers Union the Late Mehmet Doğan, and to the President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Prof. Dr. İsa Habibbayli, 

Science Category Award; Social Sciences Award to Prof. Dr. Alev Erkilet from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ibn Haldun University,

Health Sciences Award; to Prof. Dr. Vafi Atalay from the Department of General Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, 

Physical Sciences Award; to Prof. Dr. İbrahim Dinçer, Member of TÜBA, Member of the Executive Board of the Turkish Energy Nuclear and Mining Research Board, Tenured Professor at Ontario University, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, 

Art Category Awards; 

Achievement in Art Award to Artist Ahmet Yenilmez, 

Turkish-Islamic Culture Service Achievement Award to the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation TRT, 

Outstanding Achievement in Profession Award; presented to Selçuk Bayraktar, Member of the Board of Directors of Baykar, Technology leader, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of T3 Foundation.

At the ceremony, thank you certificates were also given to Prof. Dr. Zafer Gölen, Director of MAKÜ Mehmet Akif Ersoy Research and Application Center, who edited and designed the facsimile edition of the Safahat book, Prof. Dr. Hasan Babacan, Prof. Dr. Abidin Temizer, and Dr. Lecturer Senem Karagöz, and to MAKÜ Faculty of Art and Design Faculty Members Assoc. Murat Kara and Dr. Lecturer Yasemin Kayabaşı, who designed the book.

The ceremony was attended by Burdur Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan, Members of Parliament Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz, Mustafa Oğuz, primarily Mehmet Akif Ersoy's granddaughter Selma Argon, Burdur protocol, and MAKÜ academicians.

The ceremony concluded with a cocktail.

The Akif ile Hasbıhâl Corner Was Visited

After the ceremony, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş, and protocol members visited the "Akif ile Hasbıhâl" corner located in the MAKÜ Rectorate Building and chatted with the Mehmet Akif Ersoy chatbot prepared using artificial intelligence technology, asking questions.