A conference titled “Ziya Gökalp and Mefkûre,” organized for the 101st anniversary of Ziya Gökalp’s passing, a leading figure in Turkish thought and cultural life, was held with broad participation at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN).
An academic member of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Prof. Dr. Tevfik Erdem, served as the speaker in the conference held at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Doç. Dr. Ali Arslan Conference Hall. The Dean of the BEUN Faculty of Theology, Prof. Dr. Seyfullah Kara, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Hande Aydemir, senate members, academic and administrative staff, and a large number of students attended the conference.
Following a moment of silence and singing of the National Anthem, an academic member of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Prof. Dr. Tevfik Erdem, emphasized the role of Gökalp’s ideas in the construction of Turkish identity and the modernization process in his speech titled “Ziya Gökalp and Mefkûre”. Prof. Dr. Erdem stated that Gokalp’s ideas are not a product of a period, but a reflection of the mentality that is a part of today’s social, cultural, and political structure of Türkiye.
He emphasized that Ziya Gökalp is a leading name, expressing the common consciousness of the people through his poetry and ideas as a thinker and a national poet. He also noted that Gökalp’s idea “Turkification, Islamification, Modernization” provides a framework not only for achieving modernization bt also for preserving of social unity. Prof. Dr. Erdem stated that Gökalp’s works can be seen as a guide in the journey towards modernization by preserving the values of the Turkish nation. Erdem concluded his speech by thanking particularly the BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer and those who contributed to the event.
The conference hosted by BEUN continued with the Q&A session. Following the Q&A section, the event ended with the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Prof. Dr. Tevfik Erdem and a commemorative photo.
