The 6th International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Awards was held

The sixth International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Awards, traditionally organized by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ), was held on December 22, 2025, at the Lavanta Tepesi Hotel with the participation of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı.

In previous years; the first ceremony was held in Burdur, the second in Albania, the third at the Presidential Complex with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the fourth ceremony was attended by the Minister of Transport Adil Karaismailoğlu, and the fifth by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş.

The program started with a moment of silence

The ceremony, which began with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, continued with a music recital within the scope of the “Voices of Truth from Akif Album Project” prepared by the MAKÜ Faculty of Arts and Sciences History Department and the State Conservatory of Turkish Music, featuring compositions from Safahat poems.

Then, a university promotional film and a presentation on investments in the agriculture and livestock sector prepared by the Corporate Communication Application and Research Center were shown.

Rector Dalgar: “Akif’s legacy is a responsibility”

The opening speech of the program was delivered by Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar. In his speech, Dalgar emphasized that carrying the name of Mehmet Akif is a “trust” for the university and said:

• The university is committed to the ideal of preserving Akif’s intellectual legacy not only with its name but also with its projects,
• With the science and art awards, they highlight Akif’s emphasis on morality, work, honesty, justice, and truth,
• The university has been ranked among the top 5 universities specializing in livestock by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).

Dalgar stated that MAKÜ is running 29 strategic projects, emphasized the importance of being the first university to receive an embryo production permit, and said that the university’s greatest investment is “human resources.”

He also announced that for the first time this year, Mehmet Akif Ersoy memorial week was organized between December 20-27.

Governor and Members of Parliament send messages of cooperation

Burdur Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan emphasized the importance of conveying Mehmet Akif’s exemplary personality to future generations. She mentioned that before the program, the action plan prepared for the rescue of Lake Burdur was shared with the public and thanked President Erdoğan and the relevant institutions for this plan.

Burdur Members of Parliament Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz and Mustafa Oğuz expressed their satisfaction with the university’s contribution to the social and academic development of the city in their speeches.

Certificates of Appreciation were presented

Certificates of appreciation were presented by Governor Bilgihan to the academics who took part in the fifth edition of the Akif Yearbooks prepared in cooperation with MAKÜ and the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thought and Art Foundation.

Additionally, certificates of appreciation were presented by Deputy Minister Ahmet Gümen to Dr. Lecturer İbrahim Öztürkçü, the author of the book “In Search of the Lost Translation: Akif’s Years in Egypt,” which deals with Mehmet Akif’s years in Egypt and his work on the Quran translation.

Certificates of appreciation were also presented by the members of parliament to the academics involved in the project of selecting and composing Safahat poems.

Minister Yumaklı: “Sustainability is important”

In his closing speech, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that Mehmet Akif is a figure who conveys messages to all times with his national and spiritual values.

In his speech, Yumaklı mentioned;

• The importance of the sustainability of the award program,
• The announcement of the Lake Burdur rescue action plan,
• Burdur’s critical role as a center for agriculture and livestock in Turkey,
• Water being one of the most important agenda items of the future,
• The Ministry’s continued support for the university’s R&D activities in agriculture and livestock.
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Addressing the youth, Minister Yumaklı expressed that they should work with the spirit of “Asım’s generation” inspired by Mehmet Akif’s ideals.

8 awards were given in 4 categories

Following the video, the 6th International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Science and Art Awards Ceremony commenced. 

Art Category Awards

Organized in two subcategories: Achievement in Art Award and Achievement in Service to Turkish-Islamic Culture Award.

Achievement in Art Award

To Prof. Yalçın Çetinkaya, Faculty Member of the Musicology Department at Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory,

To Ferhat Eşsiz, producer of the TV series Gönül Dağı broadcast on TRT, and the series actors Ferdi Sancar, Feyza Işık, Ege Aydan, Serkan Kuru.

Achievement in Service to Turkish-Islamic Culture Award

To the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The award was received by TİKA Deputy Chairman Dr. Rahman Nurdun.

Science Category Awards

Given in 3 subcategories: Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences.

In the Natural Sciences Category 
To Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Arslan, Faculty Member of the Electrical-Electronics Engineering Department at Istanbul Medipol University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences,

In the Health Sciences Category

To Prof. Dr. Aykut Özdarendeli, Faculty Member of the Department of Medical Microbiology at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine Basic Medical Sciences Department.

In the Social Sciences Category 
To Prof. Dr. İhsan Fazlıoğlu, Director of the Institute of History of Science and Faculty Member of the Department of Philosophy and Sociology of Science at Istanbul Medeniyet University.

3) International Mehmet Akif Ersoy Professional Achievement Award
To Mechanical Engineer – TEI General Manager Prof. Dr. Mahmut Faruk Akşit

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Special Awards

a) Award for original works related to Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s intellectual, literary life, and period
To Afrim Gashi, Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia. The award was received by Kenan Sevinç, President of the Albania Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Ziya Arnavutoğlu, Secretary General.

b) Award for those contributing to the national and/or international promotion of Mehmet Akif Ersoy

To Uzbek translator, poet, story, play, and cinema writer Miraziz Agzam,

To Prof. Dr. Sami Güçlü, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Anadolu Mektebi - 22nd Term Konya Member of Parliament - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in the 58th and 59th Governments,

To Hakan Tanrıöver, Member of the Board of Directors of Anadolu Mektebi,

To Prof. Dr. Hazem SAİD Mohammet, Head of the Department of Turkology at the Faculty of Languages and Translation at Al-Azhar University in Egypt.

The awards were presented by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, while Certificates of Appreciation were also presented by Burdur Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan, Members of Parliament Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz, Mustafa Oğuz, and Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar.

After the ceremony, stands consisting of scientific products in the fields of agriculture and livestock by MAKÜ academics were visited.