02.11.2026 13:31
Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board and Technology Leader of Baykar, addressing young scientists, said, "We look at our country's agenda. On the one hand, we see the work of people like you who strive to get somewhere through hard work, tooth and nail, enduring the torment of ideas, to bring healing to people; on the other hand, we see people trying to get somewhere and become wealthy so quickly, easily, and immorally."
Speaking at the 12th Turkish Medical World Congress, organized under the auspices of the Presidency in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Health Institutes Presidency (TÜSEB), Bayraktar made assessments regarding the contribution of scientific studies to humanity and the goals of young researchers.
Expressing his satisfaction at being together with scientists who have achieved international success in their fields at the congress, Bayraktar said that meeting especially the young people who will shape the future world of science was a source of great happiness and pride for him.
Touching on the work carried out in the world of science, Bayraktar pointed to developments in the fields of genetics and neuroscience.
Noting that the vaccine developed by Prof. Dr. Uğur Şahin and Prof. Dr. Özlem Türeci during the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to the health of millions of people worldwide, Bayraktar stated that work in this field is moving toward the development of personalized medicines.
“HOW YOU DO IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU DO”
Offering advice to young scientists in his speech, Bayraktar emphasized that success should not be measured solely by the titles obtained, awards, or positions reached.
Bayraktar noted the following:
“As your older brother, I would like to tell my younger siblings this: you do not need to work to be the best in the world. That is not very important either. Truly, that is also a very vague concept. What matters is the intention and effort inside you. There were even questions like, ‘In which field should I work?’ That is not very important either. How you do it is more important than what you do. With what morality, with what principle you realize this is more important.”
Emphasizing that scientists carry out studies that will benefit humanity by laboring for many years, Bayraktar said that in contrast to labor and scientific effort, there are pursuits to obtain gain and status the easy way.
Bayraktar continued as follows:
“We look at our country’s agenda. On one side are the efforts of people like you who try to get somewhere with their teeth and nails, enduring the torment of ideas, to bring people to healing; on the other side, we see people trying to get somewhere rapidly, the easy way, immorally, to become property owners. It does not matter much where you arrive, friends. Which status, which position... It does not matter much which award you win either. The accolades people will give you are not very important either. What matters is your intention. For what purpose, for what aim you make an effort, and with what principle—without departing from labor, sweat, the torment of ideas, and the straight path—your efforts matter.”
“ONE MUST PREPARE FOR TOMORROW’S RACE, NOT TODAY’S”
Explaining that in his own working life he tried to observe the same principles, Bayraktar pointed to the importance of acting by foreseeing the future in technological developments.
Bayraktar said, “I always tried to do this. At the end of the day, at the end of the road, I tried to walk with my head held high, with a straight principle that would never make me lose my self-respect.”
Stating that he tried to go beyond today’s competitive conditions and focus on the needs of the future, Bayraktar continued his words as follows:
“I tried to work not for today’s race but for tomorrow’s race, not for a race that is finished or constructed today but by foreseeing what tomorrow’s race will be. I also tried to be at the forefront in today’s race, but that was not very important either. What mattered was the purpose itself, the aim itself, the intention itself.”
Calling on young people to keep their goals high, Bayraktar noted:
“As your brother, as your older brother, keep your goals high. Make maximum effort and never depart from the straight principle. I believe that your faith, your effort, and the Almighty God who sees this will be your helper.”
A KIZILELMA MEMORY FROM AZIZ SANCAR
Nobel Chemistry Prize laureate Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar also shared a memory about the Baykar jacket Selçuk Bayraktar gifted him.
Explaining that Bayraktar gave him a jacket with “KIZILELMA” written on it, Sancar said, “Selçuk gave me a Baykar jacket. It says KIZILELMA on the back. I walk to work. Our house is close to the laboratory. I always wear it. All of Chapel Hill (the town in North Carolina where the University of North Carolina, where Aziz Sancar works, is located) knows what KIZILELMA is.”
Selçuk Bayraktar responded to Sancar’s words with, “Our path is open, our horizon is KIZILELMA.”