We bid farewell to our dear brother Ali Çakmakoğlu, a Geology Engineer who worked at MTA for many years and conducted geological research in various regions of our country, on 17 September 2025.
Our country’s geological community has lost not only an excellent scientist and a geologist devoted to his profession, but also a prolific artist.
Ali Çakmakoğlu left a lasting impression on both his colleagues during his working life and on geologists of subsequent generations, such as ourselves, through his professional expertise, productivity and artistic flair.
He was recognised as one of the MTA’s most respected field geologists for his meticulousness in field observations, his mastery in mapmaking, and the scientific depth of his assessments.
For me, Ali Çakmakoğlu was not merely a professional mentor; he was one of those rare individuals who succeeded in bringing science and art together.
I eagerly and impatiently awaited the exhibition he would open at every Geology Congress, featuring his cartoons reflecting the connection between social issues and social developments and geology.
For example, his drawing depicting the 12 September coup, which shelved democracy, through a geological cross-section in a cartoon titled “Eylüliyen” was an extraordinary metaphor.
Ali was not only a good geologist and a good artist, but also a socially conscious citizen.
The professional organisation TMMOB and the Chamber of Geological Engineers (JMO) have taken a keen interest in this matter, consistently arguing that the problems facing the profession are not independent of the country’s problems.
He played an active role in the processes of establishing, developing and implementing the Chamber’s policies; he made significant contributions to strengthening professional solidarity. At every general assembly of our chamber, he would appear before the branch or central advisory boards with a folder of documents, raising objections and expressing his views regarding the chamber’s statutes and regulations. My brother Ali was stubborn to the point of insisting on science and democracy. He was resilient, my brother Ali, and he was supportive and sharing.
I had the opportunity to work with him at the Chamber of Geological Engineers of the Turkish Chamber of Engineers and Architects for approximately ten years.
During my time as a member and chair of the chamber’s board of directors, I gained invaluable insights into the chamber’s history, culture and struggle thanks to him.
In a sense, he was one of a handful of colleagues who carried the memory of the room.
In every speech Ali made, there was a wise calmness; in every cartoon he drew, there was a deep social awareness.
He was a geologist who saw not only rocks but also people when looking at geology.
His cartoons, which blended social issues, environmental awareness and professional integrity with sharp humour, were a reflection of his multifaceted world of thought.
These drawings, featured in publications by the Association of Geological Engineers and various journals, will be remembered as valuable documents that describe the human side of science and the relationship between geology and social events in a humorous manner.
His interest in music was another expression of his love for nature and humanity.
The extensive music archive he gifted me approximately twenty years ago, reflecting the history of music in the world and Turkey, remains a precious memento of him to this day.
Ali Çakmakoğlu left behind not only geological reports, but also a philosophy of life filled with thoughtfulness, sensitivity and beauty.
For him, science, art and humanity were one and the same.
Both within the MTA community and the Geological Engineers Association, everyone who knew him will remember him as a productive, profound and wise individual.
May his soul be at peace, and his memory live on forever.
May he rest in peace in that beautiful world where science, art and friendship intertwine.
İsmet Cengiz
Geologist