"MEHMED AKİF ERSOY'UN BALIKESİR'E GELİŞİNİN 105. YILI" Panel

On January 28, 2025, a panel titled “Akif's Days in Balıkesir and His Friends in Balıkesir” was held to mark the 105th anniversary of Mehmed Akif's arrival in Balıkesir. The event, held at the Malazgirt Hall of the BAÜN Atatürk Congress and Culture Center, was attended by: Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Cevdet Avcıkurt, Faculty of Science and Letters Dean Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Şahin, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Suat Kara, Faculty of Sports Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Zekeriya Göktaş, Dean of the Faculty of Theology Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özkan, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Prof. Dr. Ziya İlhan, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Prof. Dr. Selvihan Kılıç Ateş, Director of the Edremit Civil Aviation College Prof. Dr. Abdullah Soykan, academic and administrative staff, and students. The panel began with a moment of silence and the recitation of the Turkish National Anthem, followed by an opening speech by Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Şahin, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Literature. Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serap Sunay, a faculty member of the Department of History at Balıkesir University Faculty of Science and Literature, the panel featured presentations by Mehmet Ruyan Soydan, President of the Mehmed Akif Ersoy Foundation for Thought and Art; Ramazan Minder, Director of the Beyazıt State Library; and researcher and writer Tahsin Yıldırım. The event, which covered the life and works of national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, his arrival in Balıkesir, and the history of the Turkish National Anthem, attracted significant interest from students. The event concluded with Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu thanking the panelists, presenting them with plaques and certificates of appreciation, and taking a commemorative photo.