The Scientific Status of the Cesa

In Turkey, the taxonomical researches and the studies concerning biodiversity have not been given an importance anticipated by the academic bureaucrats. On the contrary, they have been treated as of no account, the progressive activities for this branch have been either bypassed or prevented explicitly. They simply instructed to ignore the ICZN's rules (The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature). Today, there is not still a natural history museum in Turkey. This is one of the inevitable result of such non-scientific, narrow-minded bureaucratic approaches. On the other hand, due to their unadvised position, the Turkish universities have not any infrastructure and basic scientific conception at present, regarding the museology on the natural history; therefore, their situation on this respect worse than it can be imagined. It is a pity that all these cases mentioned are the reverse process to Atatürk's Principles, guiding to his Turkish inheritors. [Atatürk ("Father of the Turks"), one of the great figures of the 20^th century, Atatürk rescued the surviving Turkish remnant of the defeated Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I].

Countries with strong nationalist leaders were more successful in modernizing education. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk of Turkey, who was determined to create a modern state, initiated a dramatic program of social and cultural change in which education played an important role. He launched a compulsory adult education project, in 1933, reorganized Istanbul University into a modern institution staffed mainly by refugees from Nazi Germany. Later, Istanbul Technical University also reorganized and Ankara University was established. Educational reforms were pursued, but the particular pattern was profoundly affected by the traditional behaviour of the Turkish academicians. Therefore, these important reforms did not produce the anticipated results. Emert. Prof. Dr. Philippe Schwarz reported this case officially about 60 years ago. Strong efforts were made to universalize primary education, to upgrade technical and vocational education, and to improve the quality of education generally. Despite large investments, it was unable to coordinate scientific understanding between some Turkish academicians and bureaucrats, even today. Unfortunately, the modern universal scientific understanding remained small and elitist. Consequently, the quality of the academicians are very seldom adequate at present.

As to us, our entomological studies were centered (CESA) by myself at Ankara in 1988 [The CESA (Centre for Entomological Studies, Ankara) supports entomological researches, which are based on its collection of natural-history specimens (especially Lepidoptera), and it organizes the expeditions, publishes the results of the studies, which has been carried out in the CESA. It also functions as an educational centre for the postgraduate students]. Although a natural history museum has not been established in Turkey so far, Museum of the CESA has been fulfiling this scientific mission in an international meaning with an extra-ordinary effort and success. Foreign or native researchers, who are interested in taxonomy, faunistics, ecology, forestry, agriculture, conservation, as well as the students of the postgraduate programmes of the biology departments of various universities. They have been benefiting from the various services of the Museum of CESA since 1988.

CESA was recognized by more than sixty foreign scientific institutions so far (natural history museums, universities, societies etc.). Unfortunately, there has not been a Turkish Institution, collaborating with CESA. The successor of CESA will be a foreign natural history museum ultimately, if we should not be offered appropriate research conditions in Turkey immediately, not the reverse just as mentioned above.

visit also: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk * Red Data Page for the Scientists and the Butterflies in Turkey * The Truest Guide in the World is the Science

Updated November 14^th , 1999 CESA Ó