A conference titled “Civil Institutions of the State in a Historical Perspective: The Ahi Brotherhood and Hacı Bayram Veli” was organized by the KAEU Social Contribution Coordination. The event took place on May 27, 2025, at the Neşet Ertaş Hall of the Ahi Evran Congress and Culture Center. The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of National Education Dr. Ömer Faruk Yelkenci, Kırşehir Governor Murat Sefa Demiryürek, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Musa Özata, Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş, and Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek, Secretary General Asst. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin İlter, institutional directors, local administrators, academic and administrative staff, students, and members of the press.
The opening speech of the conference was delivered by the Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, who provided information about the general and physical structure of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University. Rector Karahocagil stated that in 2017, KAEU was selected as a specialization university in the fields of agriculture and geothermal energy within the framework of the “Regional Development-Oriented Mission Differentiation and Specialization Program” carried out by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE). He emphasized that these projects are supported by the Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate, and through them, the university has enhanced its capability and capacity in the fields of agriculture, greenhouse cultivation, animal husbandry, and health-sports tourism, taking a leading role in local and regional development. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Karahocagil also addressed the university’s successful quality assurance initiatives, continuing as follows: “Although our university is young, with the motto ‘In the Footsteps of Akhism… A Journey Toward Excellence’, it has become a role model in quality assurance for Turkish higher education. The Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) software we developed in-house, which enables digital management of quality processes, has been commercialized and made available to 20 universities and ÖSYM. Our Learning Management System software, which is part of the Ahi Competency-Based Digital Education Portal (AYDEP), developed through university-industry collaboration to establish a competency-based quality assurance system in education, has also been commercialized and is currently in use by 3 universities. Thanks to the internal quality assurance systems and software it has developed, our university received the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certificate for all its units in 2017. In 2022, it became the first state university established after 2006 to receive Full Institutional Accreditation for five years through the Institutional Accreditation Program conducted by THEQC. By carrying its quality initiatives to the international arena, our university began implementing the EFQM model of the European Foundation for Quality Management across all its units. In 2023, KAEU became the only Turkish higher education institution to receive the EFQM 5-Star Recognized for Excellence Award.” Describing these quality efforts as “Competing in Goodness”, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil stated that these initiatives are grounded in the values of Akhism, and said: “Because the Akhism organization, while being a professional guild, was in fact an early Value-Based Quality Movement that forms the foundation of the Turkish Quality Management System,”.
In his speech, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil emphasized that KAEU has secured a place in international ranking agencies such as Times Higher Education and GreenMetric, and continues to rise in both national and international rankings. He added: “With the motto ‘In the footsteps of Ahilik... Science, Art, and Ethics,’ and guided by Ahi Evran-ı Veli’s words, ‘Those who come to us with patience and truth is from us, and whoever surpasses us with wisdom and morality is beyond us,’ our university strives to equip its graduates with the skills of Ahi-Order and to uphold the principle of always delivering the best and highest quality, as a value of Ahi-Order.” Prof. Dr. Karahocagil thanked everyone who contributed to the organization of the conference and wished for it to be a productive and successful event.
Following this, Kırşehir Governor Murat Sefa Demiryürek took the floor. In his speech, Governor Demiryürek stated that the states established throughout history in Anatolia rose not only by the sword, but also through the pen, the heart, hard work, and moral integrity. He emphasized that at the foundation of this rise were civil structures and institutional traditions that resonated with the conscience of the people, as well as deep-rooted traditions of wisdom such as the Akhism and Bektashism orders, which helped build society from within. Highlighting that Kırşehir is not merely a city, but a center of civilization where Anatolian wisdom has flourished, where the Akhism system was born, and where science, music, and social justice have taken root, Governor Murat Sefa Demiryürek continued: “In the 13th century, the Akhism Organization established by Ahi Evran-ı Veli spread from Kırşehir to all corners of Anatolia, serving as a model that united profession, ethics, and social order. This organization was not merely a production system, but also a guarantor of civil society and individual moral training. Another great spiritual leader of the same era, Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, through the guidance of Sufism, brought to Anatolia a perspective that viewed service to the people as service to Allah, nurturing a spirit of social unity and brotherhood.” At the end of his speech, Governor Demiryürek thanked everyone involved in organizing the conference and wished for a beneficial event.
Following the opening speeches, Deputy Minister of National Education Dr. Ömer Faruk Yelkenci delivered his presentation titled “Civil Institutions of the State in a Historical Perspective: The Ahi Brotherhood and Hacı Bayram Veli.” In his presentation, Dr. Yelkenci shared important insights about Ahi Evran-ı Veli and Hacı Bayram Veli. He emphasized that both figures played a significant role in the formation of Anatolian civilization. Using the example of a city, Dr. Yelkenci remarked that whichever structure is placed at the center of a city, the city will develop in that direction. Highlighting Hacı Bayram Veli’s contributions to society, Dr. Yelkenci noted that he placed great importance on two key activities that sustain the economy. He explained that Hacı Bayram Veli prioritized agriculture in rural areas and craftsmanship in urban settings to promote development. Dr. Ömer Faruk Yelkenci also added that the traditional imece (collective work) system made significant contributions to social solidarity.
Following the presentation by Deputy Minister of National Education Dr. Ömer Faruk Yelkenci, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil presented a gift to Dr. Yelkenci. The conference concluded with a group commemorative photo.





