Salda Science Center and MAKÜ National Technology Workshop have been opened to service

Burdur has gained two more significant investments in the field of science and technology. The Salda Science Center, which focuses on the scientific and natural potential of Lake Salda, and the National Technology Workshop established within Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University to enable young people to contribute to technology development and production processes, were opened to service with a ceremony.

Attending the opening ceremony were Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Burdur Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar, astronauts, academics, students, and many invited guests from different countries around the world.

Minister Kacır: “We aim to reach lunar orbit in the first months of 2027”

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that Turkey is carrying out significant work in space technologies as part of the National Technology Initiative, and that the goal is to send the spacecraft developed with national resources into lunar orbit in the first months of 2027.

Referring to Turkey's position in the global space ecosystem, Minister Kacır noted that the International Space Congress held in Antalya brought together more than 10,000 participants from 111 countries in Turkey.

Minister Kacır emphasized that Lake Salda, due to its similar geological features to the Jezero Crater on Mars and the carbonate minerals it contains, serves as an important natural laboratory for researching Mars's past and potential signs of life.

30 million lira TÜBİTAK support for Salda Science Center

Minister Kacır stated that the Salda Science Center was brought to life with a 30 million lira support provided by TÜBİTAK, and that a qualified environment focused on science and discovery has been created at the center.

He mentioned that the “Facing Mars” exhibition at the center allows visitors to embark on a virtual journey to Mars, and that the rocket exhibition showcases the technological accumulation behind space explorations, while in the workshop named “Beyond the Horizon,” young people will carry out practical studies related to space technologies.

Minister Kacır expressed his belief that the center will combine Salda's natural and scientific value with education, research, and science communication, and that it will be one of the first steps young people will take on their scientific journey.

MAKÜ National Technology Workshop will enhance the production power of young people

Providing information about the National Technology Workshop, which has been put into service within MAKÜ, Minister Kacır stated that the workshop was established with a 30 million lira support provided by TÜBİTAK over a three-year period.

He noted that the workshop will provide young people with the technological infrastructure they need across a wide range of areas from design to production, and from artificial intelligence to robotic systems, expressing that the projects developed by the young people who will grow here will turn into success stories extending from Burdur to Turkey and from Turkey to the world.

Governor Bilgihan: “Science suits Salda very well”

Burdur Governor Tülay Baydar Bilgihan highlighted the natural and scientific value of Lake Salda in her speech, stating, “Science suits Salda very well.”

Bilgihan pointed out that Salda is one of the important values of the world with its natural beauties, and that the visibility of the lake in the scientific world has increased even more after NASA drew attention to the similarity between Lake Salda and Mars in 2020.

Recalling that Salda was declared a Special Environmental Protection Area in 2019 and that it will be among the world's 100 geological heritage sites in 2024, Bilgihan stated that the Salda Science Center will be an important source of inspiration, especially for transforming the curiosity of young people into exploration and science.

TÜBİTAK President Aydın: “We are carrying out two important openings”

TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın also stated in his speech at the ceremony that the Salda Science Center and the MAKÜ National Technology Workshop will make significant contributions to Turkey's science and technology infrastructure.

Aydın expressed that these two investments, carried out under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in cooperation with the university and the governorship, will increase young people's interest in science and technology, and thanked those who contributed to the realization of the projects.

Rector Dalgar: “We will make our youth love space and aviation”

MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar stated in his speech at the opening ceremony that they are witnessing a historic day for Burdur and MAKÜ.

Emphasizing that Lake Salda is Turkey's pearl and an important heritage that has no equivalent in the world, Rector Dalgar expressed his satisfaction with the realization of the project that was brought up during Minister Kacır's visit to Burdur about a year ago.

Referring to important figures in Turkey's technology and science history, Rector Dalgar stated that a period is being experienced in which the technology culture extending from Al-Khwarizmi and Al-Jazari to Nuri Demirağ and Vecihi Hürkuş, and from Necmettin Erbakan to Özdemir Bayraktar and Selçuk Bayraktar will be taken further.

Rector Dalgar expressed great happiness in being part of such an important project as MAKÜ, stating, “As a university, we will ensure that this place serves in the best way to make our country's children and youth love space, aviation, and space sciences.”

Rector Dalgar thanked the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Burdur Governorship, TÜBİTAK, the Western Mediterranean Development Agency, and all institutions and organizations that contributed to the realization of the project.

A new technology base for young people

The MAKÜ National Technology Workshop will enable students to transform their theoretical knowledge into practice, develop technology-based projects, and experience production processes.

It is aimed that various studies will be conducted in the workshop in artificial intelligence, robotic systems, and different technology fields, and that young people will take an active role in design, prototyping, and production processes.

The Salda Science Center will offer children and young people the opportunity to experience science by combining the unique natural and geological features of Lake Salda with space sciences.

With the realization of the two openings, an important step has been taken towards strengthening Burdur's science, technology, and innovation infrastructure and involving young people in the National Technology Initiative more robustly.