President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the “Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) 2016 Awards Ceremony” held in the Presidential Complex where "Young Scientists with Outstanding Achievements Program (GEBİP) Award, Scientific Copyright and Translated Works Program (TEÇEP) Award and International Academy Awards" organised under Presidency since last year.

President Erdoğan cordially congratulated the science people who have won TÜBA awards for their contributions to science and their services to humanity, and announced that Prof. Dr. Şerif Mardin  with worldwide acclaim for his works in his field won the Academy Award for Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Mary-Claire King won the Academy Award for Health and Life Sciences for cancer studies, Dr. Omar Yaghi, a prominent figure in the field of chemistry won the Academy Award for Science and Engineering Sciences.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke as follows: "The notion of security, formerly perceived as protection of borders and interests exclusively, has now expanded to cover all threats to economy, social and cultural assets. Military, judicial and police measures are visible aspects of security approach, and it is of course important to become successful in these matters. However to be able to complete the security cycle in addition, it is necessary to struggle in various areas from science to art, from education to sports, from investments to the media."

Erdoğan congratulated the winners of the 2016 Young Scientists Award Program, underlining that 31 scientists deemed worthy of awards in various science branches, four scientists within the scope of Remarkable Scientific Copyright and Translated Works Awards, and two in the field of engineering and social science in the scope of Scientific Copyright and Translation Program.

"We have gained significant ground"

Noting that "We have in fact gained significant ground throughout this process we set out to build a new and great Turkey through a path illuminated by science," Erdoğan continued as follows:

"This is why we guard the projects of TÜBA and TUBITAK, and award ceremonies as the Presidency. We are still far from achieving our goals, and we cannot say that we have achieved our goals one hundred percent. But looking at the outcomes we have obtained in the past 14 years, we are on the right path. We hope to achieve our 2023 goals first, and later we will realize our goals for 2053 and 2071. Then we will have contributed to building a much more beautiful, fair, safer world for both Turkey and our friends, and for all humanity. "

Expressing that, “As everything else, science is also for people. It is for us to better know and get acquainted with ourselves as human beings,” Erdoğan read following verses by Yunus Emre: “Science is knowing science. Science is knowing one's self. If you do not know yourself, what kind of education is that?”

Noting that the security understanding of countries and societies underwent a fundamental change, President Erdoğan continued his speech as follows:

"The concept of security, formerly perceived as protection of borders and interests exclusively, has now expanded to cover all threats to economy, social and cultural assets. Military, judicial and police measures are visible aspects of security approach and it is of course important to become successful in these matters. However to be able to complete the security cycle in addition, it is necessary to struggle in various areas from science to art, from education to sports, from investments to the media. In order to win this struggle, we must exist and become pioneers in all areas. This is what suits us. Let's not forget that each civilization produces its own technology and each technology produces its own culture and value. The techniques and technology used in construction of the mosques built by our ancestors with the aim of building the most beautiful sanctuaries, reflect our civilization as well. The inns, caravanserais and bridges on trade roads are civilization heritages. The rich imagination of our ancestors, who expressed the colour and pace of a horse with hundreds of concepts, also points to the culture summit of their period. If you can not produce your own technology and science, you cannot determine its cultural value. "

Saying, "I will give two very clear, very simple examples," Erdoğan expressed the following:

"TÜBİTAK produced PARDÜS as a product in the search for a national software system. Despite all efforts PARDÜS did not become widespread and could not become a valid and widespread product as the technology used in this software did not belong to us. In the same way, during my Prime Ministry, I issued a circular for using F keyboard on computers in state institutions. Although years have passed, I see that there has not been a serious progress in this matter, because we are not the ones that produce the device and the technology this keyboard employs, so we do not determine its culture. "

President Erdoğan stressed that it is possible to add to these examples, and said, "I never act on an approach based on categorical rejection in saying this. It is in our civilization and culture to utilize and improve what is good, beautiful and beneficial in our world. Rebuttal has never been a part of our science. The problem is not the computer itself here, it is the value system that preaches how computers should enter to human life and how they should be used. And our complaint concerns the blockage, ineptitude and inability experienced in establishing this relationship.”

Noting that as members of a civilization that raised scientists as Al-Farabi, Avicenna, Ibn Khaldun, Al-Biruni, Khayyam and Ali Qushji who are considered as monumental figures in science even today, we do not experience any other difficulties in any way, Erdoğan said, "This reproach is not a result of envy, but a result of the regret felt in losing our pioneering position in science and technology. Where were we, and where did we fall behind?”

"FETÖ paves the way for occupation of Turkey"

Referring to Fetullah Terrorist Organization who staged the treacherous military coup on July 15^th, President Erdoğan said, "The academicians, judiciary members, police officers, soldiers, teachers, businessmen may be well-educated and may have graduated from classy schools however this does not justify their blindness to truth, their ignorance, and change the fact that they let their hearts and minds to a charlatan.”

Erdoğan continued his speech as follows:

"We can recover only through knowing ourselves. If we do not know ourselves, someone will come and tell us who we are, and they will begin to draw the lines. Like many deviant organisations, FETO has also lost its path. Forgetting who they are, all have become or turned into ignorant slaves who only follow their master's orders. We can compare the magnitude of the treachery committed by members of this organisation on July 15^th, to the occupation days of a century ago. For instance FETO's bombing of the Turkish Grand National Assembly building is the same with shutting down the Ottoman Parliament. They serve the same purpose. There is no difference. Both aim to make these institutions which are manifestations of national will, dysfunctional, and pave the way for occupation of the country.”

Following the speeches, winners received awards from President Erdoğan. Rector of Istanbul Şehir University Prof. Dr. Cengiz Kallek received the award on behalf of Istanbul Şehir University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Şerif Mardin, deemed worthy of TÜBA 2016 Academy Award in Social Sciences and Humanities category. TÜBA Council Member Prof. Dr. Tayfun Özçelik received the award in Health and Life Sciences category on behalf of Washington University (USA) Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Mary-Claire King. California Berkeley University (USA) Professor in Chemistry Department Prof. Dr. Omar M. Yaghi received the award in Science and Engineering Sciences category.

The award ceremony ended with a group photo shoot of President Erdoğan, award-winning academics and their families. Erdoğan also had a photograph taken with the child of a professor.