EATRIS is pleased to announce that the Republic of Türkiye has officially become an Observer of EATRIS-ERIC. Türkiye was approved as an EATRIS Observer on 18 May 2026 by the EATRIS Board of Governors and formally welcomed at the June 2026 EATRIS Board of Governors meeting in Prague, Czech Republic. This marks an important step in strengthening Türkiye’s involvement in the pan European translational research community and opens up new opportunities for collaboration across EATRIS’ network of institutions, expertise and services.
The Türkiye delegation to EATRIS includes:
- Main EATRIS Governor representative: Ahmet Alperen Sağkaya from the Ministry of Industry and Technology;
- Alternate EATRIS Governor representative: Umut Kerim Sağlam from the Ministry of Industry and Technology;
- National Director: Professor Özlem Yalçin Seyhan from the Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM).
- Alternate National Director: Professor Çiler Çelik Özenci from the Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM).
Ahmet Alperen Sağkaya, Governor of EATRIS Türkiye, commented: “Türkiye’s participation as an Observer in EATRIS-ERIC reflects our commitment to strengthening the national research and innovation ecosystem and deepening our collaboration with leading European research infrastructures. We see this as an important opportunity to support Turkish researchers, foster international partnerships, and contribute to advances in translational medicine that can benefit patients and society.”
Anton Ussi, EATRIS Operations & Finance Director, added: “We are delighted to welcome Türkiye as an Observer of EATRIS-ERIC. Türkiye brings a dynamic and growing biomedical research community, with strong potential to contribute to the EATRIS mission. We look forward to working with our Turkish colleagues to connect expertise, technologies and services across the EATRIS infrastructure, and to support new opportunities for translational collaboration.”
Ana de Castro, Chair of the EATRIS Board of Governors, said: “On behalf of the EATRIS Board of Governors, I am pleased to welcome Türkiye as an Observer of EATRIS-ERIC. This is a positive step for EATRIS and for the wider European research infrastructure landscape, reflecting the importance of inclusive, cross-border collaboration in addressing biomedical research challenges. We look forward to Türkiye’s active engagement in the EATRIS community.”
Professor Özlem Yalçin Seyhan, National Director of EATRIS Türkiye, said: “Türkiye’s observership creates valuable new opportunities for our researchers and institutions to connect with the EATRIS network. Through access to expertise, technologies, training and translational support, we hope to strengthen the development of biomedical discoveries into tools and interventions that can improve health outcomes. We are excited to contribute to, and learn from, this European community.”
The EATRIS community warmly welcomes Türkiye and looks forward to a productive and impactful collaboration in the years ahead.
In this photo (from left to right): Anton Ussi (EATRIS Operations & Finance Director), Florence Bietrix (Deputy Director to the Executive Board), Professor Özlem Yalçin Seyhan (National Director of EATRIS Türkiye), Ana de Castro (Chair of the EATRIS Board of Governors), and Toni Andreu (Scientific Director). Taken in Prague, Czech Republic, in June 2026 during the Spring EATRIS Board meetings.
