türkçe links to original Turkish article
(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 12 April 2026)
Soldier- Scientist Ömer Sıtkı Işıksal
By Tolga Aydoğan
Explorer who discovered the atomic model
Could such a scientist emerge from our country in the years when
Einstein's discoveries shook the world? The views and discoveries
defended by Ömer Sıtkı Işıksal, who said that he was not understood
by the scientific community in Turkey, open the door to a "what if"
story that many of you have not heard before.
On January 19, 1933, at 13.30, the Great Leader Atatürk left the
mansion where he was staying in Bursa and visited the spa facility
in Çekirge and then the Bursa İpek İş Factory.
Here, after receiving information from the factory manager Reşat Bey,
he stopped by the military hospital to give morale to the patients, and
while taking a breather in the chief physician's room, he was
informed that a person wanted to meet him.
The incident was reflected in the next day's Cumhuriyet newspaper
as follows:
"Before leaving the hospital, His Excellency the President listened to
the explanation of Sıtkı Bey, who was promoted from the military district
governorship (lieutenant colonel) in the medical room. Sıtkı Bey says
that he has discovered a new atomic model and that this discovery will
make great revolutions in the world of physics and chemistry and, due
to its application, in the world of science. He even published an article
about his discovery in a reputable magazine in the French science world
and aroused interest. He participated in the Nobel science award
competition. He is trying to have his work published in order to enter.
His Excellency Gazi also promised to help in printing this person's work.”
Upon this news, the press of the period became interested in the issue
and all eyes suddenly turned to Ömer Sıtkı Işıksal, who claimed to have
discovered the atomic model.
Ömer Sıtkı Bey, whose name had not been heard in the scientific world
until that day, was a soldier of engineer origin. After graduating from
engineering school, he was sent to Germany for education with a state
scholarship, where he worked as a manager at the Tophane factory and
as a physics-chemistry teacher at Bursa Işıklar Military High School
in his later years.
On the other hand, he invented a periodic table that he claimed to fill
the gaps in Mendeleev's periodic table, which is used in the field of
chemistry.
Atatürk wanted this discovery of Ömer Sıtkı Bey, who asked for his
support, to be investigated and brought together the scientists of the
period in Dolmabahçe Palace. He personally attended the first meeting
on February 25, 1933. Physics professors Salih Murat Uzdilek and
Tevfik Subaşı, two of the important teachers of the period, astronomer-
mathematician Ord. Prof. Dr. Ali Yar, the first atomic physicist
Prof. Dr. Fahir Yeniçay, Kandilli Observatory director Fatin Gökmen,
Chemistry professor Ligor Taranakidis were among the delegation.
Sıtkı Bey's thesis was evaluated for three days, and the Turkish press
followed the developments closely. In the Cumhuriyet newspaper,
under the title "Atomic theory debates", it was stated that "Sıtkı Bey
claims to have reached the important conclusion that physics scientists
are busy searching for" and asked him to be associated with the
publication of his book and his discovery in order to be a candidate
for the Nobel Prize.
Again, in the 26 February 1933 issue of Cumhuriyet newspaper, the
statement of Sıtkı Bey, who was stated to have won a science award
from France, "It will be possible to move a train with a spark" was
also included, and the power of the atom was tried to be explained.
However, no positive results emerged from the three-day meetings.
Ömer Sıtkı Bey could not convince the professors in the delegation
about his discovery. One of the teachers expressed his negative opinion
with the sentence: "The theories that Sıtkı Bey claims to have
discovered have no value from the point of view of logic in today's
scientific world."
Prof. Dr. Salih Murat Bey, though, stated, "If the world of science
can use the pressure inside an atom, a small spark will be able to
move locomotives and ships for years. Scientists are currently
working to learn the mechanism of the atom. Benefiting from this
will be a task that will take years."
The committee claimed that Mr. Sıtkı tried to make a discovery in
good faith, but that he repeated existing scientific data and was
confused on some issues. The first atomic physicist Prof. Dr. Fahir
Yeniçay said that if necessary, they could discuss the issue at
Darülfünun Faculty of Science and that if Sıtkı Bey were right,
they would applaud him.
Sıtkı Bey responded to the delegation who do not believe in his
discovery through the press and claimed that they did not understand
him. He said, "You know, Einstein was the target of many slanders
when he said this. Now, we see that there is no event that is not based
on that theory," and likened his situation to the situation experienced
by Einstein.
He also added: "However, our revolution is not the age of iron and fire,
but the age of electrons. I am sure that this will be understood sooner
or later," and claims that it will be understood in the future.
Ömer Sıtkı Bey published his book describing his discovery in January
1934 under the title "New Atomic Theory." He also made efforts to be
nominated for the Nobel Prize, and even published books titled
"Atom and Mathematics" and "Mechanics and Electricity."
A remarkable news item about Ömer Sıtkı Bey appeared in the Son
Posta newspaper on November 7, 1948. The news stated that Sıtkı Bey's
work "contains the atomic formula and the definition of the atom
within this formula, which even American scientists who possess the
atomic bomb did not yet know."
It was also stated that the Nobel Committee examined and admired
Sıtkı Bey's work, and it was shared that Fritz Arndt, a chemistry
professor at ITU, took action to nominate him for the Nobel Prize.
On the other hand, Işıksal corresponded with the Nobel committee
in 1948 and 1949 and stated that he wanted to be a candidate for his
discovery.
In response to his letter on May 5, 1949, in which he explained his
discovery of the atom, he received a letter from the Rector of the
Federal Polytechnic School in Switzerland, Fritz Stüssi, who noted
that the work was received positively and would be shared with
Ferdinand Gonseth.
And the aftermath of Ömer Sıtkı Işıksal is unknown. His family,
whom I could barely reach, said that he corresponded with Albert
Einstein about the periodic table during his lifetime, and that they
had a box of documents waiting to be investigated.
Ömer Sıtkı Işıksal left us as a "misununderstood" explorer, in his
own words, who claimed to have made a great discovery since the
1930s, who strived to be a Nobel candidate.
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