Academic Year Opening Ceremony was held at Selçuk University

Selçuk University 2023 - 2024 Academic Year Opening Ceremony was held with the participation of the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar. At the ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Metin Aksoy presented an honorary doctorate diploma to President Tatar.

The ceremony held at the Sultan Alparslan Cultural Center was attended by the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar, Selçuk University Rector Prof. Dr. Metin Aksoy, Necmettin Erbakan University Rector Prof. Dr. Cem Zorlu, Konya Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Osman Nuri Çelik, representatives of public institutions and organizations, academic and administrative staff and students attended.

Thanking the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar for their participation, Selçuk University Rector Prof. Dr. Metin Aksoy said, “Our university is the largest and most prestigious educational institution in the region with its 48-year rich history. Moreover, it is among the best universities in our country with over 70,000 students and graduates who hold high-level positions in the public and private sectors, including ministries. As Selçuk University, we are constantly working to make a name for ourselves in the field of science and education and to become one of the leading scientific institutions in the world. Since the day we took office, internationalizing our University has been among our most important and priority goals. “In this context, we have taken serious steps and carried out important work.” he said.

Prof. Dr. Aksoy said, “Our university has shown that we have largely achieved our goals with the awards it has received both nationally and internationally in recent years. For example, we demonstrated our potential on a global scale by hosting large-scale international events such as the Islamic Solidarity Games. We have achieved great success in the world's leading university ranking organizations such as EduRank, GreenMetric, URAP, THE Impact and THE Asian Universities rankings. In our country, we were selected by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) as a pilot university for an important initiative such as 'Specializing University' and 'Sustainable and Climate-Friendly Campus Project' in the field of Digital Technologies in Agriculture. We came first in Turkey with 37 Flag Awards in the 2023 Barrier-Free University Awards given by the Council of Higher Education, and we registered our success by receiving the Accreditation Certificate from the Higher Education Quality Board (YÖKAK). he said.Reminding that project supports are provided in 17 different areas within the scope of BAP Coordination, Prof. Dr. Aksoy said, “Within the scope of all activities, approximately 12,500,000 TL was provided to 378 projects in the first six months of 2023. Last year, we broke a record by increasing our University's BAP budget to over 30 million lira. With a recent regulation, the amount of support that can be received from BAP per project can now go up to 150 thousand liras. Our goal is to increase this figure even further.” said.Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who gave the opening lecture on "Cyprus and its Future in the Light of Current Problems" and explained the historical process of Cyprus, said, "Cyprus is very important for Turkey. Turkish Cypriots lived for years with the hope of the day when the Ottomans would come. The Greeks did nothing to connect Cyprus to Greece and to expand their sovereignty. Our ancestors, who were Ottoman citizens in Cyprus, refused to receive a British passport instead of an Ottoman one. Various perceptions were tried to be created through population games in Cyprus. The massacred and oppressed Turkish Cypriots were forced to leave Cyprus. Without the right to intervene unilaterally, the 1974 Cyprus Operation would not have happened. The Republic of Türkiye carried out this operation with great success. Greece built very large defensive positions. He prepared for 11 years for the operation to fail. "The Cyprus Peace Operation was a very difficult operation, but it ended successfully thanks to the Mehmetçik and the Cypriot mujahideen." said.President Tatar, who received a standing ovation for a long time, said, “Today, there is a mentality that does not see Turkish Cypriots as equal to them and does not want to share the riches of the island. We are faced with injustice. We are resisting. Turkish Cypriots have the right to establish their own state. Greece dreams of besieging Anatolia by entering Cyprus and dominating the seas. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talks about Turkish Cypriots everywhere he goes. This struggle is very important for Turkey's security, for our survival, peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. This struggle is a national struggle. It is very important for all of us that the Turkish State in the north of Cyprus can survive and grow stronger. We fight with great honor, with our chests as a shield, for the survival of the Turkish Cypriot people. Our new policy is a two-state policy. Because the federation book is now closed. Türkiye has always protected Cyprus. If there will be an agreement in Cyprus from now on, the Republic of Turkey will definitely be the guarantor of that agreement. Turkish soldiers will continue to stay in Cyprus forever.” he said.At the end of the Selçuk University 2023 - 2024 Academic Year Opening Ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Metin Aksoy presented an honorary doctorate diploma and a gift to the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar.