The President of BAYKAR Executive Board, Chair of the T3 Board of Trustees, the architect behind Turkey's first national UAV systems and the first national unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Technology Leader Selçuk Bayraktar gave a talk on the topic of 'National Technology Initiative' at Eastern Mediterranean University. The event, organized by EMU Rector’s Office, was held on Tuesday, 7 November, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. at the Mustafa Afşin Ersoy Hall with a largel turnout.

Present at the event were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Consul General of Famagusta, İlyas Çetin, President of EMU Board of Trustees  Dr. Erdal Özcenk, Rector of EMU Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç, Member of EMU Board of Trustees Hasan Esen, Vice-Rectors of EMU Prof. Dr. Osman Karatepe, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tümer, and Prof. Dr. Sonuç Zorlu, along with deans, department heads, faculty members, administrative staff, and students.

"Understanding the Power of Technology Is Important for Future Generations"

Speaking at the opening of the discussion, Rector of EMU Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç expressed their delight in having the opportunity to meet with a leader who plays an important role in the technological transformation of the motherland Turkey. Emphasising their pride in hosting Selçuk Bayraktar at EMU, Prof. Dr. Kılıç underlined that the success of EMU on the international stage is rooted in technology, stating that when EMU was founded in 1979, it provided education in the field of engineering, but now it has become an international brand with a student profile coming from 106 different countries. Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated that EMU is the flagship institution in the country's education field and provided information about EMU's accreditation efforts and achievements in international ranking lists, highlighting that EMU ranks at the top in these rankings.

Prof. Dr. Kılıç emphasized the significant importance of understanding the power of technology not only for the current generation but also for future generations. Highlighting the importance of being together with Selçuk Bayraktar, a prominent leader in this field, Prof. Dr. Kılıç expressed his belief that Bayraktar's experiences and leadership would serve as an inspiration to everyone. Prof. Dr. Kılıç stated, 'Today, we have the opportunity not only to discuss the success of a company but also to share a vision for our youth and the future. This discussion will be inspiring for our students to discover their own talents, determine their areas of interest, contribute to our country's technological innovations in the future, and build their careers. I hope it will be an enjoyable and inspiring event.'"

"UAVs are Important for the Country to be Fully Independent and Strong"

Taking the floor after Prof. Dr. Kılıç, Bayraktar started his talk by discussing the struggle with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under the National Technology Initiative and the societal activities conducted under the Turkey Technology Team Foundation. Bayraktar mentioned the beginnings of work on unmanned aerial vehicles in the 2000s, highlighting that Turkey was seeking a breakthrough in the defense industry at that time and they believed these vehicles could be effective. Bayraktar pointed out that work on the first mini UAVs began in this context, providing detailed information about their development process. Addressing the importance of UAVs in combating terrorism, Bayraktar emphasized that what matters is not what is done but how and why it is done, underscoring that this work is carried out for the country to be fully independent and strong. Bayraktar also provided information about the KIZILELMA project in his presentation, stating that the project opens the doors to a new world in aviation.

At the end of the presentation, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tümer, the Vice-Rector responsible for Promotion and Institutional Communication at EMU and the Chair of the Cyprus Science and Intelligence Board of Trustees, presented a gift to Selçuk Bayraktar. EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç presented Bayraktar with a silver plate as a token of appreciation for his participation. In return, Bayraktar presented a model of the Akıncı aircraft to Prof. Dr. Kılıç.

Bayraktar Visited EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç in His Office

Following the discussion, Selçuk Bayraktar and his team visited EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç in his office. The said visit included TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, EMU Board of Trustees President Dr. Erdal Özcenk, and Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tümer.