Presidential Handover Ceremony Was Held at TÜBA
TÜBA Principal Member Prof. Muzaffer Şeker, who was appointed as TÜBA President by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, took over the presidency from Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar at the ceremony held on May 22, 2019 at the TÜBA Headquarter in Ankara with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and the Academy members.
Handover ceremony started with the presentation of Prof. Şeker by Academy Council Member and Afyon Kocatepe University Rector Prof. Mustafa Solak. Informing the participants about the scientific studies of Prof. Şeker, Prof. Solak stated that they have been working on many issues with Prof. Şeker and it is a great pleasure to work with him.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır: “I wish that this handover will bring goodness to the Turkish and world science.”
Mehmet Fatih Kacır, who started his speech by expressing satisfaction with being at the handover ceremony, continued his speech as follows: “As the Ministry of Industry and Technology, we continue our efforts to realize the National Technology Movement of our country. The National Technology Movement is the name of the works carried out in developing and producing high value-added, high-tech products of our country in order to get the place that it deserves in the global economy in this way. In this respect, people are largely thinking about engineering and basic science studies. But the National Technology Movement is also the name for the development of science and technology for the benefit of humanity. While we are working in this direction, we are pleased to see that TÜBA plays a very important role in this journey. TÜBA supports all scientists and encourages their work. Moroever, TÜBA has achieved results that shed light on our country and the world with working groups and carried out many important works. I would like to express my gratitude to all academic members and especially Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar. I hope that these valuable works will continue with the strengthening with the management of Prof. Muzaffer Şeker. I wish that this handover will bring goodness to the Turkish and world science. We are confident that TÜBA, which represents us at the global level, will continue to fulfill a great representation responsibility in this respect.”
TÜBA Presdient Prof. Muzaffer Şeker: “Our scientists have important tasks in the priority areas of our country, we will work with our scientists to produce more qualified works from energy, to defense industry, from social sciences to art and sports.”
Prof. Şeker, who spoke after the handover, stressed that the takeover of the Academy position was a great responsibility. Prof. Şeker continued: “In order for our country to look to the future with confidence, we need every added value produced by our scientists. We will endeavor to move forward the responsibility that the Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar has left for us, and I would like to support from everyone in this matter. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to you for your support and appreciation, and I would like to remind you of the continuity of this. In many countries in the world there is a crisis and our country has experienced these crises without any accident. We work for an independent Turkey cooperatively with local and national values Turkey for preserving the dignity of human welfare and development of the country. We are trying not to be affected by proxy wars in the world. I would also like to thank our country’s scientists for their honorable attitude and behavior. We are developing new policies and strategies in cooperation with all of our institutions to create a new generation that will carry our honorable country to the next centuries. Our scientists have important tasks in the priority areas of our country, we will work with our scientists to produce more qualified works from energy, to defense industry, from social sciences to art and sports. We would like to thank our President Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar for his 7-year efforts in our Academy and his success in keeping the science academy together by accepting differences as richness without transforming them into conflict.”
Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar: “We, as Turkey’s national science academy, have shown with 200 scientists that we can work together on common denominators.”
Starting his speech with saying that he took over the task from Prof. Dr. Yücel Kanpolat, Prof. Acar said that it is an honor to transfer this task that he have conducted for seven years, to Prof. Şeker.
Prof. Acar continued as: In July 2018, we selected three presidential candidates in the 53rd TÜBA General Assembly according to our previous legislation. Prof. Muzaffer Şeker had the majority in this election. Although the current legislation does not include such a provision, we are delighted that the President of the Republic of Turkey considers the General Assembly, that is, the will of all our members. From 2012 to this day, we have done a lot of work with the contributions of our stakeholders, non-member scientists and all our stakeholders. I think I have worked in a difficult time. When we came to office at a time when the conflicts were at an extreme level and overflowed in the international arena, we considered our differences as richness and we used our energy in this direction and we have been successful in this subject with the contributions of our members. We, as Turkey’s national science academy, have shown with 200 scientists that we can work together on common denominators. In this period, I want to express my happiness to those who trust us. I am sure that Prof. Muzaffer Şeker will carry this flag to higher.” Later, Prof. Acar gave information about the activities carried out during his presidency for two terms. Prof. Acar ended his speech with thanking Prof. Ahmet Yurdusev who has worked as vice-president for four years and other academy members who have contributions to the works.