The Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer attended the program titled "Yeni Altay'ın Bilinmeyen Hikayesi: Söyleşi ve İmza günü" (Unknown Story of New Altay: Talk and Book Signing" organized by MÜSİAD Karadeniz Ereğli Branch and featuring Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş, General Manager of OYAK.
The program held at Büyük Anadolu Ereğli Hotel, was attended by AK Party Zonguldak Member of Parliament Saffet Bozkurt, BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, Chairman of TUSAŞ Executive Board Ömer Cihad Vardan, Branch Manager of Karadeniz Ereğli MÜSİAD Kemal Gülbay, city dignitaries, academics, businessmen, and many guests.
The Work Describing Türkiye’s Technological Journey Attracted Great Attention
As part of the program starting with the Recitation of Holy Qur’an, General Manager of OYAK Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş made evaluations on his work titled “Yeni Altay’ın Bilinmeyen Hikayesi” (Unknown Story of New Altay). Describing the process of ALTAY Tank (Main Battle Tank), one of the strategic projects of defense industry, Yalçıntaş stated that his book not only tells the story of a defense industry project, but a process of administration, leadership, technological development, and local industry ecosystem. Highlighting that the book is a guide for young people aiming a career in defense industry, engineers, administrative, and students, Yalçıntaş stated that he shared his experiences, administrative approaches, and the transformation process of defense industry and Türkiye’s national automotive industry. He also noted that all proceeds from the sale of the book would be donated to the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation.
The Power of Defense Industry is the Strongest Sign of Türkiye’s Will of Independence
During the program, it was emphasized that the ALTAY project is not merely a tank production project, but a national success story that demonstrates Türkiye’s technological development capacity, engineering strength, and vision of strategic independence. It was noted that the achievements attained in the defense industry in recent years have enhanced Türkiye’s capabilities in high-technology production, while collaborations among universities, industrial organizations, and research centers have played a significant role in these successes.
Rector Özölçer: “ALTAY Is a Symbol of Türkiye’s Engineering Strength and National Will”
Making remarks about the program, Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer stated:
“Today, we had the great pleasure of listening to the story behind the remarkable achievements our country has attained in the defense industry from Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş, a distinguished scholar and executive who personally witnessed this process. The ALTAY tank is not merely a defense platform. It is also a tangible manifestation of Turkish engineering, Turkish industry, and our nation’s determination for independence. Every domestic and national project developed in the defense industry stands as one of the most significant indicators of Türkiye’s capacity for technological production and its strategic strength.
The book The Untold Story of the New Altay, authored by our esteemed General Manager and respected scholar Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş, is a valuable reference work that offers guidance to young people and explains how perseverance, leadership, management skills, and the National Technology Initiative are built. I believe that our engineering students, researchers, and future leaders will gain important insights from this work. It is of great importance that our students take as role models individuals such as Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş, who have successfully combined academia, industry, and managerial experience.
As Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, in line with the Vision of the Century of Türkiye, we aim to strengthen university-industry collaborations in the fields of defense industry, energy, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and high technology. We continue our efforts with an understanding in which knowledge is transformed into production, production into technology, and technology into national development. On this meaningful occasion, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş for sharing his valuable insights with us, Kemal Gülbay, President of the Karadeniz Ereğli Branch of MÜSİAD, for hosting the event, and everyone who contributed to the program.”
Presentation of a Signed Book and a Devrek Cane
At the conclusion of the program, OYAK General Manager Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş presented a signed copy of his book, , “Yeni Altay’ın Bilinmeyen Hikâyesi” (Unknown Story of New Altay, to Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer. In return, Rector Özölçer presented a Devrek Cane, one of Zonguldak’s most distinguished cultural heritages and handcrafted by the BEUN Devrek Cane Application and Research Center, to OYAK General Manager Prof. Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş and Chairman of the Board of Turkish Aerospace Industries Ömer Cihad Vardan.
The program, which attracted significant interest, concluded following the book-signing event and commemorative photographs taken to mark the occasion.
