The year 2014 has been announced as “Turkish-German Research, Education and Inovation Year” by Prime Ministers of Turkey and Germany. Afterwards a seminar with international participation about “Molecular Approaches in Plant Breeding and Microbial Biotechnology” was carried out on October 8-9, 2014 in Ankara; within a project proposed by Biotechnology Research Center of Ankara Central Research Institute for Field Crops and partly granted by TUBITAK. The seminar was the biggest one of three projects organized in the field of Agricultural Biotechnology among the projects granted by TUBITAK (74 Projects) in terms of theme and participants and was the only event of Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.

This two-day seminar started with opening speech of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Masum BURAK, who is General Director of Agricultural Research and Policies, emphasising about usage area and increasing effects of biotechnology in plant breeding in Turkey. Afterwards plaquets were given to speakers, executives of companies sponsored to the program, head of Biotechnology Department and Project Leader Dr. Mikail ÇALIŞKAN, secratary of seminar Dr. Nur KOYUNCU.

Six German guests joined to the seminar from University of Bonn, one of the distinguished university of Germany, from Max Planck Institute and DSMZ (German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures), leading research centers of the World and ten Turkish distinguished researchers, working in the best universities of Turkey (METU, Boğaziçi, Sabancı, Hacettepe, Ankara, Çukurova, Akdeniz, İzmir Institute of Technology, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey, Çankırı Karatekin) gave presentations in plant breeding, molecular physiology, molecular biotechnology and microbial culture collections. Totally sixteen presentation were given during two days and were summarised recent developments in agricultural biotechnology.

In final evaluation it has been agreed that providing scientific and technological collaboration between two country in the field of Agricultural Biotechnology and developing research projects according to mutual prior topics. It has been decided using the web site of the seminar (www.biyotek2014.org) as a bridge for researchers. Detailed information about organized program, presentations of speakers and pictures of events are available in the concerning web site.