Established through a collaboration between TÜBİTAK and Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality, the Şanlıurfa Science Center was inaugurated in the presence of President Erdoğan as part of TEKNOFEST SOUTHEAST 2026. President Erdoğan, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board of Directors Selçuk Bayraktar, Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Şıldak, Şanlıurfa Members of Parliament, and Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Mayor Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar attended the ceremony on stage. Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Zekeriya Coştu, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, and Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Mithat Can Kutluca also participated in the ceremony via a live connection from the Şanlıurfa Science Center.
With the inauguration of the Şanlıurfa Science Center, the number of TÜBİTAK-supported science centers across Türkiye has reached 44.
Erdoğan: “Türkiye’s Future Is in Safe Hands”
Addressing young people as part of TEKNOFEST Southeast, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye’s future will be shaped by the determination, enthusiasm, and perseverance of its young people.
Erdoğan also said, “Praise be to God, Türkiye’s future is in safe hands. Our country’s path forward, horizons, and prospects are wide open. The Century of Türkiye will bear the mark, imprint, and signature of the TEKNOFEST generation. The young people here are the pride of this nation. You are the apple of this country’s eye. You are the strongest symbol of a prosperous and respected Türkiye. I am proud of each and every one of you.”
6 Workshops, 8 Thematic Exhibitions
The center features six different workshops that take visitors on a journey of discovery across various fields of science. At the Natural Sciences, Mathematics (STEM), Space and Aviation, Technology, Discovery, and Design workshops, visitors have the opportunity to learn by applying their knowledge in practice.
The center also houses 86 indoor exhibition units designed to foster curiosity about science and technology. Developed around the main themes of Basic Sciences, Perception and Reality, Our World, the Universe, Aviation, Space Technologies, Energy, and Technology, these exhibition units offer visitors the opportunity to explore a wide range of scientific subjects.
Experience-Based Learning Environment
Science centers are established to bring individuals from different age groups and with diverse levels of knowledge together with science, and to make science and technology more accessible and understandable to society. Through an interactive learning approach, these centers encourage visitors not only to observe but also to experiment, explore, and ask questions. Workshops at science centers provide participants with opportunities for hands-on learning, while exhibition areas allow visitors to experience science and technology interactively through installations developed around a variety of themes. In this respect, science centers are designed as educational environments that make learning engaging, enjoyable, and appealing.
The 4003 Science Center and Workshop Support Program, implemented by TÜBİTAK’s Directorate of Science and Society, aims to increase the number of science centers across Türkiye.
