Our university's 2025-2026 academic year graduation ceremony was held with great enthusiasm and excitement. Prior to the ceremony, a meaningful program was held in the university's Cumhuriyet Square; our Rector, Prof. Dr. Erol Yaşar, and members of the University Senate laid a wreath at the Atatürk Monument and observed a moment of silence.

Following the program in Cumhuriyet Square, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Erol Yaşar, and our Senators walked through the students lined up for the protocol procession and took their places in the stadium.

Our graduation ceremony, held on Friday, June 19th, at the University Stadium, was attended by 4500 graduates and over 20,000 guests. Among the attendees were: our former Minister of Treasury and Finance and Mersin Member of Parliament, Dr. Nureddin Nebati; the Governor of Mersin, Atilla Toros; AK Party Mersin Member of Parliament Ali Kıratlı; the Chief Public Prosecutor of Mersin, Ahmet Çelikkol; our Rector, Prof. Dr. Erol Yaşar; the Rector of Tarsus University, Prof. Dr. Ali Özen; and the Rector of Toros University, Prof. Dr. Ömer Arıöz, Çağ University Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Şirvan Kalsın, TRNC Deputy Consul Evren Taşan, Mersin Provincial Police Chief Fahri Aktaş, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Brigadier General Ercan Atasoy, Coast Guard Mediterranean Regional Commander Rear Admiral Gökmen Gücüyen, AK Party Mersin Provincial Chairman Adem Aldemir, Nationalist Movement Party Mersin Provincial Chairman Ömer Gürsoy, our graduates, academics, and the esteemed relatives of our graduates attended.

A Procession and Oath Ceremony was Held

At the ceremony, our Rector Prof. Dr. Erol Yaşar and our Senate members first greeted the guests accompanied by the Akdeniz Mersin Maritime Trade Chamber Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School Band. Then, thousands of our students graduating from 5 institutes, 19 faculties, 5 colleges, and 11 vocational schools of our University, along with students from the Turkish Language Teaching Application and Research Center (TUAM), marched in a procession carrying Turkish flags and Mersin University banners, taking their places in the ceremony area.

After the graduates took their assigned places, a moment of silence was observed, and tens of thousands of people sang the Turkish National Anthem in unison.

The Graduation Excitement Continued with the Graduates Taking Their Professional Oaths

The Teacher's Oath was taken under the guidance of our Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Mutlu Nisa Ünaldı Coral, and the Engineering Oath was taken under the guidance of our graduate from the Faculty of Engineering, Aliye Haznedar. Following this, the Midwifery Oath was taken under the guidance of our Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Aslı Eker, and the oath ceremony for the graduates of the Health Services Vocational School was held under the guidance of our Director of the Health Sciences Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Gülay Altun Uğraş.

After the oath ceremonies, the protocol speeches began.

Dr. Nureddin Nebati: "Your Unwavering Determination Will Crown the Turkish Century"

Our former Minister of Treasury and Finance and Member of Parliament for Mersin, Dr. Nureddin Nebati, stated that our graduates not only received an academic education but also learned loyalty to the state and respect for humanity. He added that these young graduates will be the unwavering architects of the Turkish Century. Nebati said, "These garments you wear today, these gowns on your shoulders, are not just ordinary pieces of cloth. These gowns are a symbol of the responsibility of the great duties, the cries for justice, and the development initiatives that this noble nation expects from you. You are being sent off from this door not as the architects of an ordinary time, but as the true and unwavering architects of the Turkish Century that will shape world history. Graduating from here, you will step into the ranks of the state, the gears of industry, technology hubs, and the deepest depths of science. Wherever you go, you will carry the vast horizon of Mersin, the nobility of this university, and most importantly, the gentle, embracing, unifying, and majestic spirit of Mersin's etiquette."

Mersin Governor Atilla Toros: "Success is the Story of Those Who Continue to Walk Despite Obstacles"

Speaking at the ceremony, Mersin Governor Atilla Toros emphasized that graduation is the beginning of new paths, struggles, and successes. Governor Toros advised young people not to let anyone stand in the way of their dreams, emphasizing that success is the product of patience and perseverance. He stated, "Of course, you will encounter obstacles throughout your life. You won't reach every goal on your first attempt. Not every effort will yield results on the same day. But remember; success is not the story of those who have no obstacles, but of those who continue to move forward despite them. Life will give you many titles and positions over time. But no matter what position you hold, remember: Knowledge makes you powerful. But morality makes you valuable. Competence opens doors for you. Conscience determines how you will pass through those doors."

Governor Toros also noted that graduating from our university adds a unique value to each graduate, adding that this city teaches young people not only knowledge but also how to adapt to change, how to understand the world correctly, and how to see differences as a source of richness.