Prof. Dr. Süleyman Sami İLKER

He was born in Gördes (Manisa) in 1956. After attending Beş Eylül Primary School, he graduated at the top of his class from Gördes Secondary School.

In 1970, he was admitted to the İzmir Air Force High School. He entered the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine in 1973 under the sponsorship of the Turkish Armed Forces and graduated in 1979. He completed his military internship at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in Ankara, ranking first in his class. He served as the Chief Physician at the Air Force Headquarters.

He completed his residency in Ophthalmology, which he had begun at GATA, at the end of 1986.

Between 1986 and 1989, he served as an Ophthalmology Specialist at the İzmir Air Force Hospital.

In 1989, he joined GATA in Ankara as an Assistant Professor. He became an Associate Professor in 1992.

In 1995, having completed his mandatory service, he retired at his own request with the rank of Air Force Associate Professor (Lieutenant Colonel). That same year, he joined Celal Bayar University. He became a Professor in 2003.

He served two terms as the head of the TOD (Turkish Ophthalmological Association) Electrodiagnostics Unit and edited the TOD unit's book, *Clinical Electrophysiology*.

He also edited the November 2017 special issue of the *Türkiye Klinikleri Ophthalmology Journal* titled "Cataract Surgery with the Mininuc Technique."

He served two terms as the Head of the Department of Surgical Medical Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and as the Dean of the MCBÜ (Manisa Celal Bayar University) Faculty of Medicine from 2016 to 2019. After reaching the mandatory retirement age, he continued to work in the same department as a contracted faculty member, with his contract extended three times for one-year periods. He retired in early 2026. His works include *Bir Zamanlar Gördes* (1999), *Eskiden Yeniye Gördes* (2016), *Hava Lisesi Tarihi* (2025), and *Turan Yolculuğu* (2025; covering trips to Iran, Siberia/Russia, and Turkmenistan). A book titled *S. Sami İlker Armağanı* has also been written about him. Beyond his professional work, he writes on topics such as travel, nutrition, health, and culture.

Prof. Dr. İlker is a member of the Turkish Ophthalmological Association and is proficient in English. He is also a member of the MADOST Society and the Manisa/Anemon Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Club, and serves as the President of the Association for Contribution to Education.