Following their success at the GastroAntalya 2025 competitions, the award-winning students of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Gökçeada School of Applied Sciences, were received in a series of ceremonial visits by local administrators and university leadership. The receptions celebrated the students who earned gold and silver medals while representing both Gökçeada and our university on the national gastronomy stage.

Reception by the Mayor of Gökçeada

On 27 November 2025, Gökçeada Mayor Bülent Ecevit Atalay welcomed our students and academic staff at his office. The visit was attended by School Director Assist. Prof. Dr. Hande Kandur Arslan, Deputy Director Lect. Özkan Yazar, Res. Asst. Necati Karakaş, Lect. Ayşen Köseoğlu, Lect. Ayşe Kuru Alaylı, Lect. Yağmur Su Kocabaş Güneşhan, School Secretary Medet Yıldırım, and the students who took part in GastroAntalya 2025. Mayor Atalay warmly congratulated the students and received detailed information about their dishes, preparation process, and competition experiences. Emphasizing that gastronomy is of critical importance for promoting Gökçeada, strengthening its brand value, and enriching its tourism diversity, he stated that the municipality would always stand by the school in such national and international events. The meeting included mutual evaluations on developing Gökçeada's gastronomic potential, supporting students in new projects, and increasing joint events, organizations, and collaborations in the period ahead.

Reception by the District Governor of Gökçeada

On 28 November 2025, Gökçeada District Governor Osman Acar received our medal-winning students at his office. The visit was attended by School Director Assist. Prof. Dr. Hande Kandur Arslan, Deputy Director Lect. Özkan Yazar, Res. Asst. Necati Karakaş, School Secretary Medet Yıldırım, and the students on the GastroAntalya team. District Governor Acar received detailed information about the categories in which the students competed, the dishes they prepared, and their competition experiences. Conveying his congratulations, he noted that having Gökçeada represented on the national gastronomy scene was an important source of pride, and that the students' achievements were a valuable gain for both the island and the university. The meeting also featured brief evaluations on gastronomy-related work carried out in the district, student projects, and the school's sectoral collaborations, with the District Governor affirming his continued support for future events.

Reception by the Rector of ÇOMÜ

On 3 December 2025, ÇOMÜ Rector Prof. Dr. R. Cüneyt Erenoğlu welcomed our students at his office following their GastroAntalya 2025 success. The visit was attended by School Director Assist. Prof. Dr. Hande Kandur Arslan, Deputy Director Lect. Özkan Yazar, Res. Asst. Necati Karakaş, and our medal-winning students: Seyithan Öztürk (Student Chef Fish Competition), Ulaş Ağkaya (Student Chef Main Course Competition), Bilal Çırak (Pizza Competition), and the Modern Turkish Cuisine Team Competition group of Harun Demir (Appetizer), Osman Bağbaşı (Main Course), and Muhammet Furkan Çallak (Dessert). The students shared the stories behind their dishes, their preparation, their competition experiences, and the challenges they faced. Listening to each student in turn, Rector Erenoğlu asked about how the dishes were conceived, the local products used, the technical details, and the creative touches, and offered guidance on the students' future goals, career plans, and professional expectations. He emphasized that ÇOMÜ has gained strong momentum in the field of gastronomy and that the students' achievements on the national stage are an important source of prestige for the university, affirming that the university administration would continue to support such events, competitions, and organizations. School Director Assist. Prof. Dr. Hande Kandur Arslan and Deputy Director Lect. Özkan Yazar thanked the Rector for his interest and support throughout the process and shared information about the school's work, external stakeholder relations, and applied education vision. The meeting proved highly productive in revisiting the students' success stories, highlighting the school's development in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, and strengthening future collaborations. Rector Erenoğlu congratulated all the students and the academics who contributed to the achievement and wished them continued success.