11 Great Turkish Scientists That Should Never Be Forgotten

According to global education standards, very few of our young people become scientists compared to our country’s population. We know that developed countries hunt these brains wherever they are in the world. A young man who grew up in Turkey, after a certain point may have to go abroad. We are sure that a very important part of these people, who sweated for the development of humanity, would not want to leave our country.

It is not necessary to be interested in science to follow scientific developments. This is actually the duty of every citizen. Do we know what Turkish scientists are working on, how they have achieved success, and what contributions they have made to humanity? The more we get to know them, the more inspiration we have to work with.

You may have heard of some of the Turkish scientists on our list, but rest assured there are some that you haven’t heard of.

Astrophysicist Feryal Special:

Feryal Özel, one of the most prominent scientists of today’s astronomy world, has a career full of success. Ozel, whose mother and father are doctors, graduated from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics at Columbia University after completing Üsküdar American High School. He graduated second place. He completed his master’s degree at the Danish Niels Bohr Institute and his doctorate at Harvard University, which had a great impact with his thesis.

After working as a researcher at NASA, Özel gave astrophysics lectures at the University of Arizona. She is also the winner of the Maria Goeppert award given to the most successful astrophysicists by the American Astrophysical Society in 2013. He is also among the members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences.

Molecular Biologist Aziz Sancar:

Aziz Sancar, who struggled with the impossibilities in education and set an example by achieving successes that make us proud, was born in the Savur district of Mardin. Probably most of our citizens had not heard of his name until he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. After graduating from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Sancar turned to molecular biology. He created the agenda with his theses at Texas and Yale universities. He has published 288 scientific articles and 33 books on topics such as DNA repair, biological clock, and cancer treatment.

in 2015 with his work mapping how damaged DNA is regenerated by cells. He was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Mathematician Cahit Arf:

With a picture on the back of our 10 TL banknotes Ordinaryus Prof. Dr. Cahit Arf is known for his work in the field of mathematics. He is the owner of the mathematical invention known in the scientific world as Arf Constant, Arf Rings or Arf Helix. He developed the Hesse-Arf Theory together with the German mathematician Helmut Hesse. Cahit Arf, who packed a lot into his 87-year life, passed away in 1997 as a result of a severe heart disease.

Historian Disaster Inan:

Afet Inan, the adopted daughter of Ataturk, is one of the best social scientists raised by the young republic. After completing Bursa Teacher’s School for Girls, at the age of 17 Inan, who started teaching, was sent abroad to study language after being discovered by Ataturk.

With his education one of the country’s best historians. When Afet Inan returned to Turkey, he played a major role in the establishment and opening of the Turkish Historical Society. Afet Inan, who also continues to teach, furthered his academic education and became a professor of history in 1950, passed away in 1985.

Does Disaster Hodja look familiar from somewhere?

Dermatologist Hulusi Behçet Uz:

with his work “Medical Scholar” Hulusi Behçet, who became famous as a famous man, was the son of Ahmet Behçet, one of Atatürk’s friends. He began his education in Beirut, where his father went on duty. He then worked to become a doctor until he graduated from the Military Medical School. He continued his education at Gülhane Military Hospital. He worked as a dermatologist in hospitals in Edirne, Eskişehir and Kırklareli during World War I and the War of Independence.

Uz, who developed himself in Europe until 1933 and started to apply what he learned in Turkey, established the Skin Diseases and Syphilis clinic of Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. Continuing his academic life, Uz The first Turkish academic to receive the title of professor it happened. In the medical world, he worked on an unidentified disease since Hippocrates. Today that disease is known as Behçet’s disease, Tristymtom Behçet.

Sumerologist Historian Muazzez İlmiye Avalanche:

Muazzez İlmiye Çığ, who has made world-known studies about the Sumerians, one of the most mysterious societies in human history; An expert on Sumerian, Akkadian and Hittite languages. He has more than 13 books on the languages, cultures and beliefs of the same societies. Avalanche had a great impact, especially with the book History Begins with Sumer. He is a 108-year-old plane tree today.

Sociologist Şerif Mardin:

Şerif Mardin, one of the Turkish scientists who proved that science is not just about numbers, social science He brought many concepts to Turkey in his studies in the field. After Galatasaray High School, he graduated from Stanford University, Department of Political Science. He made a name for himself in his studies on Ottoman history at the same university. He returned to Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences in 1954 and started to use his experiences there. After a short political career, he founded Boğaziçi University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Department of Sociology.

In 2007, almost everyone heard “neighborhood pressure” Şerif Mardin brought up the term for the first time. Mardin’s contributions are undeniable at the point where social sciences have reached scientific level in Turkey today.

Physics Engineer and Inventor Canan Dağdeviren:

Canan Dağdeviren, one of the new generation Turkish scientists, He is the first Turkish to be a member of Harvard University Young Academy. Working as a researcher at MIT Media Lab on wearable technology, flexible electronic devices and next-generation circuits, Dağdeviren invented the wearable heart chip that can detect skin cancer.

Biochemist Naşide Gözde Durmuş:

Durmuş, who is 38 years old, is fighting against a disease he experienced as a child. Stanford University He became a research assistant in the Biochemistry Department of the Faculty of Medicine. The young scientist, who succeeded in his goal one after another, made a name for himself with his studies on early detection of cancer. Described by the MIT Technology Review as “a breakthrough leader in medicine and biology.”

Medical Doctor Türkan Saylan:

Türkan Saylan is one of the most influential doctors and researchers in the history of Turkish medicine. He was the Head of the Department of Dermatology at Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, which he entered in 1963. in 1976 began his research on leprosy, In 1986, as an internationally recognized researcher, he was awarded the Ghandi Prize in India. Saylan, who attaches great importance to the place of women in education, made social initiatives in this regard. In 1989, he founded the Contemporary Life Support Association, and served as its chairman for a long time. Türkan Saylan passed away on May 18, 2009.

Physicist Mete Atatüre:

at Cambridge University working on quantum physics prof. Dr. Mete Atatüre contributes to science at the school where Stephen Hawking grew up. Atatüre, who measured the noise of light and went down in history with his team, thinks that we have a very high probability of finding a different life form in another corner of the universe.

Chemist Oktay Sinanoglu:

Oktay Sinanoğlu, who passed away in 2015, not only with his works in the field of chemistry, He is also known for his thoughts on the Turkish language. Sinanoğlu, whose father was the Consul General in Italy, returned to Turkey at an early age and continued his education there. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1955. The next year, he did his master’s at MIT, where he won a scholarship. Sinanoğlu is still the youngest scientist to become a professor of chemistry at Yale University. He also served as a consultant to many scientific institutions and universities in Japan and Turkey. He also worked on many suggestions for the originalization and purification of Turkish.