The closing program, held at the Conference Hall of the Faculty of Engineering, was attended by Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmud Güngör, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dr. Sezai Tokat, Pamukkale Technokent General Manager Prof. Dr. İbrahim Aksel, GEKA Denizli Investment Support Office Expert İrfan Sezgin, academics, and students.

 

During the program, Tugay Cyber Defense Systems Inc. CEO Buğra Yüksel delivered an informative presentation on the Cyber Homeland Program and its training content. In the continuation of the program, Pamukkale Technokent General Manager Prof. Dr. İbrahim Aksel and Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmud Güngör delivered their speeches.

 

General Manager Aksel: “Cybersecurity experts are the invisible soldiers of the modern age. They stand guard with their keyboards, protect borders with their code, and serve their country without being noticed.”

 

Speaking at the closing event of the Cyber Homeland Program, which was implemented to train qualified human resources that will shape Türkiye’s cybersecurity vision and to transform the potential of young people in this field into a national power, Pamukkale Technokent General Manager Prof. Dr. İbrahim Aksel stated the following:

 

“In the past, homeland territory was protected at border gates. Today, borders are drawn on computer screens, in data centers, and across digital networks. A country’s independence is no longer defended solely with weapons, but with knowledge, software, and security. Data centers are digital fortresses. Patriotism is not only loving the flag; it is protecting the country’s data, securing institutional systems, and preparing young people for a conscious digital future. Patriotism is protecting data, defending systems, and using information consciously. They are the invisible heroes of the modern age. In today’s world, wars take place on screens, borders are drawn with cables, and fronts are established on servers. Yesterday’s walls have become today’s firewalls. If a hospital system collapses, if a bank’s data is stolen, if a public institution’s network is taken over, this is not merely a technical issue. It is a national security issue. When you touch the keyboard, you are actually touching this country as well. While developing an application, protecting a system, or closing a vulnerability, you may not realize it, but you are locking the country’s digital doors. Therefore, cybersecurity experts are the invisible soldiers of the modern age. They stand guard with their keyboards, protect borders with their code, and serve their country without being noticed. Cybersecurity is no longer a luxury, not a preference, but a necessity, and at the same time a patriotic duty. Every step taken in this field is an investment in our country’s independence, future, and our children’s tomorrow.”

 

Rector Güngör: “The guardians of the digital age will be raised on these lands”

 

In his speech at the program, Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmud Güngör stated the following:

 

“As Pamukkale University, beyond ensuring that our young people acquire a profession, we aim to raise them as responsible, conscious, and principled individuals. The field of cybersecurity requires not only technical knowledge but also strong ethics, high awareness, and a solid stance. Because what is protected here is not only data; it is the trust of the nation, the reputation of the state, and the peace of society. In this context, our goal is clear: to strengthen Türkiye’s cyber defense capacity, increase young people’s interest in this field, and provide our country with qualified, well-equipped, and visionary human resources. Throughout history, this nation has responded to every threat directed at it with intelligence, faith, and determination. The resolve once shown on the battlefield must today be demonstrated in the digital sphere. The will that once protected the land must now unite with the awareness that protects data. Cybersecurity is not merely a career field; it is a watch duty. This duty requires patience, discipline, and continuous learning. Behind a single line of code, a firewall, or an analysis report, there may lie the peace of a country. Carrying this awareness in every step you take, every algorithm you write, and every defense system you develop will be your greatest strength. Our national and spiritual values teach us a sense of trust and responsibility. The ‘Cyber Homeland’ is also a trust. Those who will protect this trust are you—through your knowledge, character, and conscience. As Pamukkale University, with our infrastructure, academic staff, and research centers, we will be a strong stakeholder in this process. We will work with determination to raise young people who produce rather than consume, who develop rather than merely observe, and who lead rather than follow. Because a strong Türkiye depends on a strong Cyber Homeland, and our statement is clear: the guardians of the digital age will be raised on these lands.”

 

GEKA Denizli Investment Support Office Expert İrfan Sezgin provided the following information about the Cyber Homeland Program:

“Under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Cyber Homeland Program, which is implemented across Türkiye through Development Agencies to train qualified cybersecurity experts, consists of activities such as developing training curricula and programs, capacity building, and creating awareness and motivation. Within the scope of the Cyber Homeland Program, which aims to increase youth employment by training qualified human resources in the field of cybersecurity, in addition to training activities, technical visits, master–apprentice meetings, conferences and seminars, one-on-one work with mentor companies, and Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions are organized to build motivation, support the formation of an innovative mindset, and foster entrepreneurial spirit, while an entrepreneurship development program is implemented for ideas that can be transformed into products and/or services. Initially, online training sessions were provided, after which students who passed the exam became eligible to participate in face-to-face training. The face-to-face training conducted in Denizli through cooperation between the Southern Aegean Development Agency and Pamukkale University began on February 9 and continued with the participation of 40 students who passed the exam. The training will continue with preparations for the CTF competition to be held in May. We wish that the program implemented through cooperation between the Southern Aegean Development Agency and Pamukkale University will be beneficial for our province, and we wish success to the participating students.”