On the occasion of the Republic's 103rd anniversary, Kastamonu University hosted a panel titled "103rd Year of the Republic: Memory, Identity, and Continuity." In the panel titled "Republic in Its 103rd Year: Memory, Identity, and Continuity," the historical process leading to the Republic, the political and social transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic, and Anatolia's place in Turkish literature were examined.  

The panel held on October 27, 2026, in the Cemil Meriç Hall of our University's Central Library, began with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem. The program was attended by Deputy Governor Hakan Kubalı, Vise Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Küçük, and academics and students participated. 

Prof. Dr. Ercan  Çelebi is  giving the opening speech of the panel. Prof. Dr. Çelebi stated that they came together to commemorate and celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the Republic and expressed that the panel was shaped around the concepts of memory, identity, and continuity. Stating that memory represents the historical past, identity represents the values gained by the Republic, and continuity represents the bond between the past, present, and future,  Prof.Dr. Çelebi touched upon the political and social transformations in Turkish history. 

Stating that the historical accumulation from the Göktürks and the Great Seljuk Empire to the modernization movements of the Ottomans is important for understanding the process leading to the Republic, Çelebi noted that the reform movements, the Tanzimat, and the Constitutional Era contributed to the development of a new understanding of state and society.  

The process from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic was discussed 

The first speaker of the panel was Assist.Prof.Dr. Murat Yılmaz, a faculty member of the Department of Political History in the International Relations Department of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. In his speech titled "The Process Leading to the Republic: From the Ottoman Empire to the Republic," Yılmaz explained that the Republic did not emerge solely from a decision made on October 29, 1923, but was shaped as a result of long-standing modernization movements, political thought debates, and the struggle for national sovereignty. 

Evaluating the modernization movements of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, Assist.Prof.Dr Yılmaz stated that the innovations that began during the reigns of Selim III and Mahmud II gained a different dimension with the Tanzimat Edict. He stated that the spread of modern educational institutions, sending students to Europe, and training bureaucrats who knew foreign languages contributed to the recognition of Western political thoughts in Ottoman society.  

Touching on the role of the press in the spread of new political ideas, Assist. Prof.Dr. Yılmaz said that intellectuals such as Şinasi, Namık Kemal, and Ali Suavi contributed to the discussion of the concepts of homeland, nation, freedom, and public opinion. He stated that the demands for a constitution and a constitutional monarchy, which were strengthened by the Young Ottomans movement, were effective in the declaration of the First Constitutional Era in 1876. 

Evaluating the place of the National Struggle period in the process leading to the Republic, Assist. Prof.Dr  Yılmaz stated that the developments from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's landing in Samsun to the Amasya Circular and the Erzurum-Sivas congresses, and from the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye to the 1921 Constitution of the Organization, strengthened the understanding of national sovereignty. He noted that important stages in the political and institutional transformation of the new state were completed with the abolition of the sultanate, the proclamation of the Republic, and the abolition of the caliphate. 

Emphasizing that the Republic is a common historical heritage, Assist.Prof.Dr. Yılmaz stated that the National Struggle was carried out with the sacrifices of different segments of society and that one of the most important achievements of this struggle was the Republic. He stated that understanding the Republic requires knowing the past and passing this historical accumulation on to future generations. 

The place of Anatolia in Turkish literature was evaluated

The other speaker of the panel,  Prof. Dr. M. Onur Hasdedeoğlu addressed the development of Turkish literature and the place of Anatolia in literary works in his presentation titled "A Window to Anatolia." 

Stating that literary and cultural life during the Ottoman period primarily developed around Istanbul and that Anatolia was represented in a limited manner in works for a long time, Hasdedeoğlu expressed that with the National Literature movement, the life of the Anatolian people, folk culture, the Turkish language, and the understanding of national identity began to become fundamental topics in literature. 

Stating that the social changes experienced during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the National Struggle years were also reflected in literature, Hasdedeoğlu noted that writers focused more on the social conditions of Anatolia and the lives of its people during this period. 

Prof.Dr. Hasdedeoğlu cited Reşat Nuri Güntekin’s "Çalıkuşu," Halide Edib Adıvar’s "Ateşten Gömlek," Aka Gündüz’s "Dikmen Yıldızı," and Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu’s "Yaban" as examples reflecting the visibility of Anatolia in literature and the social realities of the period. He stated that these works contributed to the understanding of Anatolia's cultural identity through themes such as education, rural life, the National Struggle, the relationship between the intellectuals and the public, and social change. 

The project, led by  Res.Assist. Sabri Okan Demiryürek, a faculty member of the Department of Surgical Diseases Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Kastamonu University, has been granted support under the TÜBİTAK 1002-A Rapid Support Module.

The Effect of a Distraction Intervention Including a Virtual Reality-Supported Application and Breathing Exercises on Postoperative Pain, Anxiety Levels, and Analgesic Use in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study. In this project, the effect of a non-pharmacological intervention that combines virtual reality-supported distraction applications and breathing exercises on reducing postoperative pain and anxiety will be investigated.

In the project, which will last for one year and receive 36,000 TL in support, Assist. Prof. Dr. Yasin Alper Yıldız, a faculty member of the General Surgery Department at our University's Faculty of Medicine, will serve as the researcher, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeliha Özdemir Köken, a faculty member of the Nursing Faculty at Hacettepe University, will serve as the advisor.

In the research to be conducted in the General Surgery Department of Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital, 82 patients aged 18 and above who are undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery for the first time will participate. 41 patients in the intervention group will be presented with nature scenes, relaxing content, or interactive games through virtual reality glasses, and they will be guided through controlled breathing exercises.

The 41 patients in the control group will continue to receive routine care and treatment services. Within the scope of the research, the impact of the application on patients' post-operative pain and anxiety levels, as well as analgesic use, will be evaluated. 

The project results are expected to contribute to scientific studies aimed at improving surgical nursing practices and postoperative pain management.

Kastamonu University Daday Nafi and Ümit Çeri Vocational School of Higher Education Equestrian and Coaching Program successfully represented our University with the degrees they achieved in the Red Pony Cup Show Jumping Competitions.  

In the competitions held on October 20, 2026, hosted by the Ankara Ahal Teke Equestrian Sports Club, Bahar Gülse Çeliker, a student of the Equestrian and Coaching Program, completed the course in first place on the first day with her horse named Sirius de Virton. 

Our university's equestrian team also won the overall championship on the first day of the competitions. Çeliker finished the competitions with two degrees, securing third place on the second day of the organization. 

Under the leadership of team captain Lecturer Ayhan Şanlı, our university team, which participated in the competitions, stood out in the organization with individual and overall rankings on the first day. 

Daday Nafi and Ümit Çeri, Vocational School Director Prof. Dr. Tolga Ulusoy, in a statement regarding the achieved success, stated that the university's investments in educational infrastructure and institutional collaborations contribute to the professional and sports development of the students. Prof. Dr. Ulusoy stated that they aim to represent our University with new successes in national competitions. 

Prof. Dr. Ulusoy thanked our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, the Department of Plant and Animal Production at Daday Nafi and Ümit Çeri Vocational School, and the Turkish Equestrian Federation Presidency for their support in the participation process of the competitions. 

Prof. Dr. Ulusoy also expressed his gratitude to Beyza İrem Kaya, Serkan Bozkurt, Mehmet Kayhan, Suzan Babacan, Ecem İde, Yunus Turgut Yavuz, and Gözde Karakoç for their contributions to the success.