16-year-old high school student Vefa Türeli made a striking claim regarding his research, which was rejected by TÜBİTAK, in a statement on his social media account. Türeli alleged that his research was disqualified on the grounds that "a high school student could not have written this."
According to what Türeli shared, TÜBİTAK officials deemed this research, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal in Europe, invalid. The young researcher expressed his disappointment as follows: "I didn't think it would hold up; they thought I had translated an article written by someone else and cited that as the reason. I don't know if there is an official 'we don't believe you' statement."
Stating that he had also contacted a Turkish linguistics professor connected to TÜBİTAK following the incident, Türeli expressed that the professor told him the jury had indeed expressed such an opinion.
These statements by the young researcher have caused a wide stir in academic circles and on social media. Despite TÜBİTAK's rejection, Türeli's work was published in a reputable journal in Europe. This situation has sparked a major debate in the scientific community and among young researchers.
News Source: 12punto
