Mehmet Fesa Evrensev: Best Technical Presentation Award

Mehmet Fesa Evrensev, as the holder of Turkish aviation history’s “Badge Number 1,” is the cornerstone of our institutional presence and discipline in the skies. After ranking first in the military examination held in 1911, Evrensev was sent to the Bleriot School in France, where he successfully completed rigorous training and earned the title of the first pilot in Turkish aviation history. His achievement was not only an individual success, but also the first concrete step in building Turkish aviation upon scientific and technical educational foundations.

Evrensev’s legacy represents the importance of “taking the first step correctly” in aviation. As the first general manager of Turkish Airlines, he also shaped the institutional identity of Turkish civil aviation and was renowned for his precision and pursuit of excellence.

This award, presented within the scope of TESKA, is granted to the work that sets the standards of the symposium through technical depth, quality of presentation, and knowledge sharing. Evrensev’s legacy reminds us that every piece of knowledge presented to the aviation community should carry an unshakable foundation and high quality, just like his Badge Number 1.

Vecihi Hürkuş: Flight Testing and Innovation Award

Vecihi Hürkuş is one of the rare figures in Turkish aviation history who combined engineering genius with exceptional test pilot capabilities. Beyond his extraordinary heroism during World War I and the Turkish War of Independence, Hürkuş’s true revolution was his determination to design, build, and test aircraft despite severe limitations. In 1924, the “Vecihi K-VI” aircraft, which he designed entirely with his own means and using captured engines, became one of the first original products of Turkish aviation engineering.

The most remarkable aspect of Hürkuş in our aviation history is that he personally conducted the first flight tests of the aircraft he designed and built. Despite the lack of technical certification processes at the time, his legal and technical struggle to fly his aircraft represents the first civil equivalent in these lands of what we now call “airworthiness” in the modern testing world. He was not merely a pilot, but a test engineer who defined the boundaries of the flight envelope through his own efforts.

This award is presented to participants who demonstrate innovative approaches in aviation engineering and successfully manage challenging test processes. The name Vecihi Hürkuş represents the unwavering “engineer-pilot” spirit required for the difficult journey of transforming an idea from design into flight.

Sabiha Gökçen: Operational Excellence Award

Sabiha Gökçen, the world’s first female combat pilot, is a universal symbol of excellence and high performance in operational flights, one of the most demanding disciplines of aviation. Completing the training she began at Türkkuşu with military aviation education in Eskişehir, Gökçen not only received flight training but also mastered the ability to make decisions under pressure and operate her aircraft at its limits.

Her operational success during the military missions of 1937 and the five-day Balkan tour she completed afterward stand as strong evidence of how effectively an aircraft can be utilized as a system. Through her stability under high G-forces, changing weather conditions, and complex mission profiles, Gökçen demonstrated one of the most successful examples of “human-machine interaction” in aviation. Her discipline was shaped not only by her flying skills, but also by her mastery of all technical systems of the aircraft.

The TESKA Operational Excellence Award is presented to works that demonstrate the highest level of precision and discipline in flight operations, data collection processes, and mission execution. Sabiha Gökçen’s legacy shows us that even the most complex systems can be managed flawlessly through strong character discipline and professional competence.

Nuri Demirağ: Strategic Vision and Systems Management Award

Nuri Demirağ was the first visionary in Türkiye’s aviation journey to see the aircraft not merely as a vehicle, but as a vast “system of systems” and an entire industrial domain. Through the aircraft factory he established in Beşiktaş, the aviation school in Yeşilköy, and the Nu.D-36 and Nu.D-38 aircraft he designed, Demirağ aimed to build a national aviation ecosystem. His perspective represents one of the earliest reflections of modern "systems engineering" and "strategic management" concepts within the Turkish aviation industry.

Demirağ’s vision extended beyond production; it was a “big picture” design that included logistics, education, testing infrastructure, and maintenance processes. He argued that Türkiye’s independence in the skies would only be possible when we possessed our own test runways, educational institutions, and technological infrastructure. He positioned aviation not as a hobby, but as a strategy for national existence. This award is presented to works that contribute to aviation infrastructure, optimize test management processes, or provide revolutionary efficiency-oriented solutions within organizational structures. The name Nuri Demirağ represents the strategic “mind” upon which today’s defense industry vision has been built.

Selahattin Alan: Young Engineer / Promising Design Award

Selahattin Alan is one of the most brilliant yet tragic engineering figures in Turkish aviation history. After studying aeronautical engineering in France, he returned to Türkiye and collaborated with Nuri Demirağ to design the legendary Nu.D-36 and Nu.D-38 aircraft. Alan possessed a technical vision far ahead of his era. In particular, the Nu.D-38 was recognized as a world-class passenger aircraft design of its time and received great acclaim for its aerodynamic structure.

Alan’s designs embodied modern engineering approaches in which theoretical knowledge was blended with practical innovation, and every detail was calculated with mathematical precision. Despite his young age, the immense responsibilities he undertook and the original designs he produced still serve as valuable lessons for the Turkish engineering community. His vision was among the earliest proofs that Türkiye possessed the capability to export its own technology.

This award is presented to encourage young engineers participating in TESKA and innovative designs with strong future potential. The name Selahattin Alan symbolizes the young minds who shape the future of aviation through technical curiosity, passion for design, and the courage to push boundaries.

Ahmed Cemal Eringen: Scientific Depth and Theoretical Excellence Award

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Cemal Eringen was a globally recognized authority in the field of “Continuum Mechanics,” one of the fundamental pillars of modern mechanics. After graduating from Istanbul Technical University, he pursued his academic career in the United States at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including Purdue and Princeton. As the founder of micro-continuum mechanics and nonlocal elasticity theories, Eringen expanded the theoretical boundaries of aerospace engineering. Through more than ten foundational books and hundreds of scientific articles, he laid the theoretical groundwork for many engineering simulations and material analyses used today.

Eringen’s work is of vital importance, especially in understanding the behavior of composite materials and micro-scale structures used in aviation. The theories he developed made it possible to calculate the limits of aircraft structures more precisely by considering not only macro-level interactions but also molecular-scale effects. In this context, Eringen represents one of the most important figures demonstrating that engineering is not merely an application field, but also an art of profound mathematical and physical thought.

The TESKA Scientific Depth and Theoretical Excellence Award is presented to works showcased at the symposium that possess outstanding scientific value and theoretical depth while shedding light on the future of aviation technologies. Bearing the name of Ahmed Cemal Eringen, this award aims to honor the invisible yet unshakable scientific power behind flight testing and systems engineering.