News Published: 05 November 2024

Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden, was founded by Ali Nihat Gökyiğit in 1995 in memory of his wife Nezahat Gökyiğit.  As of this date, within the framework of the concept of “Botanical Garden” and as a result of the activities carried out for this purpose, significant successes have been achieved in a short time.

Among the successful works  in NGBB, the Illustrated Flora of Türkiye Project, which has been carried out since 2012, is of particular importance because it is the first in the world of science and in Türkiye. Project cheif editor Prof. Dr. Adil Güner left his position as the Director of Botanic Garden as of 30 September 2024 in order to focus on the project and increase production in this field.

Salih Sercan Kanoğlu took over the duty of the director as of October 1. Mr. Kanoğlu, in 2007, started to work as a Curator of Herbarium at Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden, affiliated to Ali Nihat Gökyiğit Foundation. In 2008, started his master’s degree in Düzce University, Department of Forest Botany and completed it with systematic botanic thesis named “Flora of Sülüklügöl Environment” in 2010.

Mr. Kanoğlu started his career as Herbarium Specialist in 2007 and continued as Science Department Supervisor. He became the Vice Director of NGBB in 2010. Mr. Kanoğlu, in 2012, who also assumed the responsibility of the Horticulture Department, transferred the Science Department and Curator of Herbarium duties at end of the same year. As of October 2024, he became Director of NGBB. Mr. Kanoğlu is still working as NGBB Director and Head of Horticulture. It is also a member of the team that develops the ‘Otobur Botanic Garden Data Management System’.

Mr. Kanoğlu, spread naturally in Turkey Vascular Plants, Mosses, Algs, Lichens, Fungus and Bacteria realm which aims to be a scientific Turkish name of each species Turkish Plant Names, is a member of the team. In the Illustrated Flora of Turkey project he undertook writer tasks.