METU President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil spoke at the opening of the 19th International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology, while Cybersecurity Engineering students from METU Northern Cyprus Campus attended the conference.
The 19th International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology (ISC Türkiye 2026), organized by the Information Security Association and the Presidency’s Cybersecurity Directorate, was held in Ankara on October 20–21, 2026. The conference, organized under the main theme “Cyber Warfare in the New World Order,” brought together public institutions, universities, the defense industry, and the information technology sector. Middle East Technical University (METU) was among the institutions collaborating on the conference.
Speaking at the conference’s opening session, METU President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil stated that cyber threats pose a direct risk to critical infrastructure and everyday life, and that defense in this field has become an ongoing effort. Noting that one of the most important contributions universities can make is to educate qualified professionals, Yozgatlıgil stated that METU has been training researchers and specialists in this field for many years through its Cryptography Program within the Institute of Applied Mathematics, the Graduate School of Informatics, and the Department of Computer Engineering.
At the Outstanding Service in Cybersecurity Awards ceremony held following the opening session, the Outstanding Service in Cybersecurity Award in the university category was presented to METU President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil. Presented annually in seven categories to individuals and institutions working in the field of cybersecurity, the award recognized METU’s support for education and research in information security and cryptology.
Commenting on the award, METU President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil said:“At the 19th International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology, METU received the Outstanding Service in Cybersecurity Award in the university category. This award is a shared recognition of the academic expertise we have developed in cybersecurity across our Ankara and Northern Cyprus campuses. In particular, through the undergraduate Cybersecurity Engineering Program we have launched at our Northern Cyprus Campus, we are investing today in the areas of expertise our country will need in the future.
At METU, our goal is to go beyond keeping up with changing security needs and to develop solutions for the future; to turn our research into societal benefits through qualified human resources and strong collaborations.”
Northern Cyprus Campus Students Attend the Conference
Twelve students from the newly established undergraduate Cybersecurity Engineering Program at METU Northern Cyprus Campus also attended the conference. The students followed panels featuring senior representatives from public institutions, the Turkish Armed Forces Cyber Defense Command, the defense industry, and the information technology sector. In his opening address, President Yozgatlıgil noted that the students were present in the audience and stated that they considered it important for them to hear directly from professionals working in the field about what cybersecurity means for the public sector, industry, and academia.
METU faculty members served on the conference’s academic and program committees, while the university’s researchers presented their papers during the academic sessions held on the second day.
