2025 TÜBA and TÜBİTAK Science Awards Find Their Winners
The “TÜBA and TÜBİTAK Science Awards Ceremony,” jointly organized by TÜBA and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) under the auspices of the Presidency, was held with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the host. The ceremony, held at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was attended by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, TÜBA President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Şeker, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, rectors from various universities, award-winning academics, and their families.
At the ceremony, 38 awards were presented: 2 International Academy Prizes to Prof. Dr. Mutlu Özcan and Prof. Dr. Dirk M. Hermann, 28 TÜBA-GEBİP Awards to scientists, and 8 TÜBA-TESEP Awards to publications.
The 2025 “TÜBA International Academy Awards,” established by TÜBA as part of its mission to encourage and recognize scientists and open to all scientists worldwide, were awarded to Prof. Dr. Özcan and Prof. Dr. Hermann in the Health and Life Sciences category. In 2025, 28 outstanding young scientists won the TÜBA-GEBİP Award, which is given annually as part of TÜBA's mission to encourage, recognize, and reward scientists, including the Ahmet and Nezahat Keleşoğlu TÜBA-GEBİP Pharmacy Special Award. This brings the total number of scientists who have won the TÜBA-GEBİP Award to date to 697. Eleven scientists from eight different universities received TÜBİTAK Science and Incentive Awards, while TÜBA Full Member Prof. Dr. Alper Kiraz was presented with the TÜBİTAK Science Award.
Within the scope of TÜBA-TESEP, a total of 8 works were deemed worthy of awards: 4 works received the Copyright Award in the field of Social Sciences, 1 work received the Halil İnalcık Special Award, and 3 works received the Jury Special Award. A total of 8 works were awarded in 2025, bringing the total number of works awarded to date to 254.
53,000 projects in 20 years to spread science and culture
In his speech, President Erdoğan said, “With our National Space Program, our National and International Leading Researchers Program, and our scholarships, internships, training, and workshop programs at different levels, we stand by all young people who want to learn, teach, produce, and contribute to our country.”
President Erdoğan stated that, with the aim of spreading the culture of science to every corner of the country, they have provided 8.22 billion lira in support to 53,394 projects since 2007, according to current figures. He noted that they have increased the number of technology parks from two to 113, increased the number of R&D centers from zero to 360, and increased the number of provinces with technology parks from two to 64.
“With our National Space Program, our National and International Leading Researchers Program, and our scholarships, internships, training, and workshop programs at different levels, we stand by all young people who want to learn, teach, produce, and contribute to our country,” said President Erdoğan, continuing: "We have gained significant momentum with our national technology initiative. Last September, we brought millions of young people together with science, technology, and innovation at the 13th TEKNOFEST. We have equipped all 81 provinces of Türkiye with libraries, science, education, and youth centers, in addition to our universities. In seven years, we have increased the library usage area from 325,000 square meters to 800,000 square meters today. With the new ones to be opened, we aim to increase our total library usage area to 1 million square meters and our seating capacity to over 200,000 people by 2026."
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that they have increased the export of medium-high and high-tech products from $10 billion to $109 billion in 23 years, saying, “We achieved a 9.6 percent increase this year. Our goal is to exceed $210 billion in 2030.”
Türkiye, a beacon of hope for humanity
Kacır said that the Turkish nation's rise to prominence in history has always been achieved through its progress in science and technology, adding that the Seljuk and Ottoman empires also rose through scientific endeavors. Emphasizing that scientific endeavors are one of the nation's most valuable assets, Kacır said, "Whenever we strayed from scientific endeavors, we lost our influence. Whenever we embraced science and technology, we regained our strength." Kacır noted that the combined effects of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum technologies are being discussed, adding that it is a crucial question whether these technologies will be used for the common good of humanity or in the hands of a handful of power-hungry individuals to threaten humanity's future. If there is a glimmer of hope on earth in this gloomy picture, it is Türkiye," said Kacır, adding that Türkiye, with its civilization mission throughout history, is the bastion of hope for humanity.
We are number one in the world in terms of female inventors
Stating that they have made great strides under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kacır said that they are gradually building a Türkiye that is a playmaker in the region and a major player in the world. He mentioned advances in national unmanned aerial vehicles, naval platforms, satellite systems, and the cyber domain, noting that Türkiye has made a great leap forward in technology and engineering. He stated that the number of universities in Türkiye has increased from 76 to 208, and that the number of scientific publications originating from Türkiye has risen from 9,000 to 52,000 in one year.
One of the most important dimensions of scientific competition is “prestige.”
TÜBA President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Şeker began his speech by congratulating the award-winning scientists, their mentors, and their families, and continued, "The world has entered an era where science and knowledge have become strategic powers, and technology has become a determinant of competition. Global competition now takes place not only in production but also in the research ecosystem, talent attraction, standard setting, and scientific reputation. The countries that stand out in this race are those that preserve and develop their qualified human resources, strengthen their research infrastructure, and manage science with a long-term state vision. Behind the global competition we find ourselves in today lies not only a crisis of technology, but also a crisis of “lifestyle” and “values.” The irresponsible consumption fueled by savage capitalism and the aggressive and uncontrolled approach to production are rapidly destroying natural resources, causing irreversible damage to the environment and all other living beings, and eroding not only nature but also social conscience by normalizing luxury and waste. Generations with a sense of responsible consumption are the bearers not only of sustainable development but also of world peace," he said.
He stated that Türkiye's strong position in the race for artificial intelligence and advanced technologies is possible not only through infrastructure investments focused on speed and capacity but also through conscious human capital that produces in line with the principles of law, ethics, and social benefit.
President Şeker underscored that one of the most important dimensions of scientific competition is “reputation,” noting that the award programs conducted under the auspices of the Presidency are a strategic indicator of reputation that makes Türkiye's scientific claim visible, nurtures international prestige, and instills strong self-confidence in younger generations.
In his speech, President Şeker emphasized that one of the most concrete indicators of this quality and international level is TÜBA Honorary Member Prof. Dr. Omar Yaghi, one of the scientists who won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Reminding the audience that Prof. Dr. Yaghi was awarded the 2016 TÜBA International Academy Award at a ceremony held at the Presidential Complex, Şeker said, "The success story of Omar Yaghi, who grew up in a refugee camp in Jordan until the age of 15 as the child of a Palestinian refugee family, is particularly meaningful in this regard. This picture clearly shows that the TÜBA award programs represent a quality that is recognized not only nationally but also globally." He stated that Prof. Dr. Yaghi's example sends an important message about Türkiye's institutional capacity to be a reputable actor within the universal language of science. On the other hand, he stated that investment in science is not a short-term output calculation but a claim to civilization. "Every work we are rewarding here today is actually a tangible legacy left to Türkiye's future. On the other hand, the crises and conflicts experienced at the global level also remind us how necessary the ethical compass of science is. Science, while pursuing the truth, must also represent a stance that prioritizes human life, dignity, and justice. As TÜBA, while encouraging scientific production, we also advocate that science must be conducted in accordance with the conscience of humanity. Academic freedom, human rights, and the principles of justice are fundamental values that ensure the social legitimacy and sustainability of scientific development." He concluded his speech by congratulating the award-winning scientists.
President Erdoğan personally presented the awards to the academics who received the TÜBA and TÜBİTAK Science Awards and took commemorative photos with the award-winning scientists to mark the occasion.
