Preparing for a scientific congress always carries a unique kind of excitement, a productive restlessness that accompanies the gathering of new ideas, shared experiences, and friends across the scientific community. As we approach the 24th National Surgical Congress, the biggest event of the Turkish Surgical Society (https://uck2026.org), to be held 8-12 April 2026, this sense of anticipation is felt more strongly than ever.
As the “Secretary” of the Congress, it is my privilege to witness the remarkable collective effort behind this meeting. For the past 1.5 years, together with the organizing committee, we have been working diligently to ensure that the 24th National Surgical Congress will be an exceptional and memorable scientific meeting. This congress will bring together surgeons, researchers, and trainees from across Türkiye and beyond to exchange knowledge, debate new evidence, and reflect on the evolving landscape of surgical science.
I am particularly delighted by the participation of Anderz Bergenfelz, who served as Editor of the British Journal of Surgery from 2010 to 2016 and currently chairs the Executive Committee. His presence at the congress is both an honor and a source of great excitement for me. I eagerly look forward to his forthcoming presentation. Furthermore, the editorial team of the Turkish Journal of Surgery will be present at the congress. The TurkJSurg Newbies—an initiative by surgical residents with a shared enthusiasm for academic surgery—will also contribute to the scientific program. A special session has been organized to present, for the first time, the results of two nationwide studies conducted by residents. Another particularly exciting aspect of our congress is the participation of a large team from the UEMS Section of Surgery and the European Board of Surgery, who will join us as invited speakers and partners in a joint meeting during the congress. I believe that discussing accreditation and training in surgery with the UEMS team and listening to their experience and perspectives will be highly valuable for the surgical community.
As the congress approaches, my excitement is hard to contain. I feel both proud to be part of this organization and truly enthusiastic about the opportunity to share experiences and ideas with my colleagues. I would also like to announce that the congress abstracts will be published in our journal as a “special issue” after the congress.
With my warmest regards to all our readers….
Prof. M. Umit UGURLU
TurkJSurg Editor-in-Chief
