Ziya Gökalp Commemorated on the 100th Anniversary of Their Reunion

Balıkesir University (BAÜN) Faculty of Sciences and Letters organized a talk titled "Ziya Gökalp on the 100th Anniversary of His Passing." The event, held at the Malazgirt Hall of the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center, was attended by Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Cevdet Avcıkurt and Prof. Dr. Murat Doğdubay, Faculty of Sciences and Letters Dean Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Şahin, Faculty of Architecture Dean Prof. Dr. Türkan Göksal Özbalta, Secretary General Yemliha Yanar, academic and administrative staff, and students.

The event began with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem. In his opening remarks, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences and Letters Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Şahin, stated that Ziya Gökalp, one of the intellectuals responsible for the founding of the Republic of Turkey and a prominent scholar from the late Ottoman period, holds a significant place in our intellectual history through his numerous works. Balıkesir University Rector, Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu, also delivered a speech at the event, thanking those who contributed to this event, which was designed to commemorate Turkey's intellectuals, ensure their presence in our memories, and enable us to identify, see, and understand the paths leading from those discussions to the present day.

The talk, moderated by Prof. Dr. Salim Çonoğlu, an academician in the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at the Faculty of Sciences and Letters, was attended by Prof. Dr. Ali Duymaz, Head of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at BAUN.

Speaking at the talk, Prof. Dr. Salim Çonoğlu provided information about Ziya Gökalp's works, prepared by academics from the Faculty of Sciences and Letters at BAUN, and stated that Ziya Gökalp was a guiding pole star. Referring to Ziya Gökalp's life, Çonoğlu said, "Whatever we know about the nation and nationality, if we know that the Turkish nation has a vast past, it is thanks to Ziya Gökalp."

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Ali Duymaz provided information about Ziya Gökalp's life, emphasizing that Ziya Gökalp, who cohesively formulated his ideas, wielded a profound influence on those around him. Prof. Dr. Ali Duymaz stated that Ziya Gökalp possessed a strong political will, emphasizing that he was both a democrat and a libertarian who tolerated all views and an independent individual who distrusted any particular viewpoint and was capable of forming his own.

The event, which also featured the launch of Prof. Dr. Ali Duymaz's book, "Ziya Gökalp: The Thinker Who Left His Mark on the Century," concluded with the presentation of plaques to Prof. Dr. Salim Çonoğlu and Prof. Dr. Ali Duymaz by Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu.