FROM 1947 TO THE PRESENT, THOSE WHOPURSUE A LOVE
Geological Congress of Turkey
In order to develop and progres thescience of geology in our country, explain its position and importance inscience and application life, ensure the resources of the country byresearching in a planned manner and lead the development of the country`s industry,reveal the role of urban and rural development and engineering services to meetthe needs of working in different fields of this science, the GeologicalSociety of Turkey, which was established under the Presidency of Hamit NafizPAMİR on 14.07.1946, puts "Organizing scientific and professionalconferences and meetings" in the first order of the goals and methodsdetermined to achieve these goals (Turkish Geological Institution Regulation, docplayer.biz.tr/37749762-Turkiye-jeoloji-kurumu-tuzugu.html
The institution holds its first official meeting in October 1947 at the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration Institute. In the opening speech of the meeting, emphasizing the importance of keeping this institution alive and ensuring the continuity of the meetings of the Institution, Hamit Nafiz PAMİR repeatedly stressed that it is necessary to hold meetings with wide participation in order for the institution to live and to discuss the results of research and practice in these meetings, ”First of all, when creating such a society, it is necessary to think about how we can live it. The vitality of society, whether uniform or not in the early times, is limited only by the fact that meetings can be held and that more friends come to these meetings as much as possible and present the results of the research to the field of debate for all of us. I do not have time to attend meetings, my official affairs are not available for this; or my family affairs take a lot of time, so I cannot devote the time and money needed for meetings, such as words, varit for some of us, but mostly excuses that are not expected from civilized people. Every civilized person has a society, or at least a club, in which they continue. If those who believe the importance of such a society are considered to be one of the main duties of its maintenance, such excuses disappear.” Going to the meeting of the society would be like going to a lecture at the university, perhaps going to his job in the apartment. After considering this belief and this duty, time and money are everything. Today, it has been learned all over the world that the size and power of nations are measured by their efficiency in scientific fields. All other factors are the second and third degree. Every science follower has to raise his own discipline in his hometown. He expresses that it is also our duty to raise and develop the science of geology. (Opening Speech of the Geological Institution; Journal of the Geological Institution of Turkey, Volume 1, Number, 1).
With these considerations, the first scientific meeting is held in the MTA headquarter under the name of "1947 Scientific and Technical Congress of the Geological Institution of Turkey".
In line with the goals and objectives set by the "Scientific and Technical Board" headed by Hamit Nafiz PAMİR in 1947, its acceleration takes place in the form of scientific feasts with increasing and wide participation every year (Photo 1 and 2).
Photo 1: The Geology Congress, 30.10.1952, from the meeting in the municipal casino; from left to right: Cavid Erentöz, Maam Chaput, Recep Egemen, Atife Dizer, Suat Erk, Nevin Okay, Ahmet Can Okay, Bedia Ketin and İhsan Ketin. From Prof. Dr. Aral Okay`s archive)
Photo 2. the note of Ahmet Can Okay about the meeting
Until the 35th meeting in 1981, the official name of the Congress was "19xx Scientific and Technical Congress of the Geological institution of Turkey", in some years without giving the name of the institutions "19xx Scientific and Technical Congress of the Geological institution of Turkey" was found as "19xx Scientific and Technical Council of Geology of Turkey"
After the establishment of the TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineers in 1974, our chamber was first organized the congress in 1979 under the name of "Scientific and Technical Congress 1 for Geological Engineering in Turkey " and then "Scientific and Technical Congress 2 for Geological Engineering in Turkey" in 1980. Due to the military coup in 1980, our chamber is unable to carry out the Congress it planned to hold in 1981. In 1982, for the first time, the Turkish Geological Institution and the TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineers organizes the congress under the name of “Turkish Geological Congress 1982 + 36th Geological Congress of Turkey”. In 1983 and 1984, the institution and our chamber hold their congresses separately on close dates. During the three-year period from 1985 to 1988 until the "closure of the Geological institution of Turkey and its merger with our chamber", our Council is organized jointly by the Geological institution of Turkey and our Chamber.
“42nd Turkish Geological Congress in 1988” was Organized by the chamber which took over the tradition, under the presidency of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akartuna. Since the Geology Institution of Turkey was closed and merged with our Chamber in 1990, due to the purchase of the flat located at the address of Bayındır Sokak Kızılay / Ankara, which is currently serving our colleagues locally in order to carry out chamber services, and due to the failure to create sufficient resources for the organization of the convention, “Geological Congress of Turkey”, with serial no and date, is organized every year at the end of March and April By increasing the number of participant and the number of journals.
From 1947 to the beginning of the 1980s, our Council are held by a scientific and technical board convened under the chairmanship of the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Geological institution of Turkey. Since the mid-1980s, parallel to the developments in the scientific meeting systematic in the world, the tradition of organisation by a committee established under the chairmanship of an academic member and the scientific and technical committee determined by this committee continues until 2008. As of 2009, within the framework of a main theme determined in line with the current geological research that concerns the society and our profession, the referee opinions and evaluations was taken by the congress organizing committee formed under the chairmanship of an academician member and a systematic framework in which people from Turkey and abroad who are competent in their fields are assigned by this board.
The students who guided what was stated by Hamit Nafiz Pamir in his opening speech in 1947, "When this society expands in the future, it publishes the studies in our journal to encourage these scientific studies, makes financial aid, and establishes gold medals and rewards for the best studies to be done in various fields of geology " didn`t forget those who have contributed and contributed to the geology community since 1979, and gave Golden Hammer Science and Geology Research/Article and Service Awards to the candidates who applied or recommended each year and identifed by the Board during the congress.
It should be noted that the Turkish Geology Journal which was first published in 1947 in order to share what colleagues have produced with world geological community and the Journal of Geological Engineering which was first published as of 1977 regularly as 3 periods continues to be the only professional organization that publishes two refereed scientific journals in 24 chambers affiliated to TMMOB by publishing it every year for 2 periods.
The "Geological Congress of Turkey", whose scientific level increases every year, in line with the goals and objectives set by Hamit Nafiz PAMİR and his friends, became one of the most important scientific meetings, it become one and only meeting held in the geological sciences community for more than 70 years regularly and one of the most important scientific meetings in Europe, and it has been one of the pride meetings of our profession and our country.
Our deepest gratitude and regards to all those who have contributed to the Council since 1947…
With science, with labor, with hope, willfully
TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineering
Management Board
Note: This article has been prepared with the contribution of by Prof. Dr. Cemal GÖNCÜOĞLU, Prof.Dr. Aral OKAY and Yüksel ÖRGÜN TUTAY.
