2026 KPSS GYGK General Knowledge & Current Events Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering general knowledge, prominent art masterpieces, historical figures, terminology, and key current events from the 2026 KPSS practice exam series.

ACES Europe 2026 World Capital of Sport

Baku (Bakü), selected by the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES Europe) as the World Capital of Sport for 2026.

Safiye Hüseyin Elbi

The head nurse during the Gallipoli Campaign who is recognized as Turkey's first nurse.

Alev Alatlı

Turkish thinker and author of works such as 'Yaseminler Tüter mi, Hâlâ?' and 'Schrödinger'in Kedisi', who was awarded the Freedom Medal by Yasser Arafat and passed away in February 2024.

Watermelon (Karpuz)

The fruit that serves as an iconic symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Zafer Kızılkaya

The first Turk to win the Goldman Environmental Prize ('Green Nobel') for his marine conservation efforts along Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

The Kiss (Öpücük)

A famous masterpiece by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt created during his 'Golden Phase' using gold leaf to depict two figures embraced within golden motifs.

Ortahisar

A key tourism center in Cappadocia that joined the International Cittaslow (Quiet City) network in early 2026.

Ziya Gökalp

A prominent figure of Turkism and author of 'Türkçülüğün Esasları' whose birth was included in TÜRKSOY's 2026 Commemoration Year program.

Digital Conscience (Dijital Vicdan)

The term chosen as the 2025 Word of the Year in Turkey through a public vote organized by the Turkish Language Association (TDK) and Ankara University.

Woman with a Watch (Saatli Kadın)

A Cubist masterpiece by Pablo Picasso that set a 2023 auction record when sold for $139.3 million at Sotheby's in New York.

Akıncı UAV

The Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicle deployed upon Iran's request to locate the crash site of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter in May 2024.

Sardes Ancient City

An ancient site in Salihli, Manisa, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025, which historically served as the capital of the Lydians.

Edip Akbayram

A master of Turkish music renowned for hits like 'Aldırma Gönül' and 'Eşkıya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz', who passed away in March 2025.

Ediz Gürel

The Turkish chess grandmaster who became the first Turk to defeat a reigning world chess champion by beating Gukesh at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament.

Guernica

Pablo Picasso's 1937 masterpiece symbolically depicting the tragic human suffering caused by the bombardment during the Spanish Civil War.

Irony (İroni)

A rhetorical device in which the intended meaning of a statement is the exact opposite of its literal words, used for criticism, humor, or sarcasm.

Geben Valley National Park

Turkey's newest national park declared in 2025, located within the borders of Kahramanmaraş province.

Baki

The classical Ottoman Divan poet known as 'Sultânü'ş-Şuarâ' (King of Poets), whose 500th birth anniversary was included in UNESCO's 2026 anniversaries list.

Çağrı Bey

Turkey's ultra-deepwater drillship sent to perform the country's first overseas deep-sea exploratory drilling at the CURAD-1 well off Mogadishu, Somalia, in April 2026.

Development Road (Kalkınma Yolu)

An international transport corridor project featuring railway and highway links connecting Iraq's Grand Faw Port on the Persian Gulf to the Turkish border.

Water Lilies (Nilüferler)

An iconic series of impressionist paintings created by French artist Claude Monet depicting water gardens at Giverny.

Müphem

An Ottoman-origin term denoting statements or expressions that are vague, ambiguous, or open to multiple interpretations.

Mars Sample Return

A joint space exploration initiative by NASA and ESA aimed at collecting rock, soil, and atmospheric samples from Mars and returning them to Earth.

Defne Kurt

The Turkish Paralympic swimmer who won 5 gold medals in the women's S10 category at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

The Weapon Merchant (Silah Taciri)

A notable painting by Osman Hamdi Bey, a pioneer of Turkish painting and founder of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, blending Ottoman figures with Western academic technique.

Digital Citizenship (Dijital Vatandaşlık)

The capability of individuals to use digital technologies in a safe, conscious, ethical, and responsible manner.

Gazi Yaşargil

The world-renowned Turkish medical doctor hailed as the 'Brain Surgeon of the Century' and a founder of modern microneurosurgery, who passed away in June 2025.

Strait of Hormuz Disputed Islands

Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb (Ebu Musa, Büyük Tunb, Küçük Tunb), three strategic islands at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz subject to a sovereignty dispute between Iran and the UAE.

Tuna Tunca

The ultra-marathon swimmer from Izmir who became the first Turk to swim across the 16.2 km Strait of Gibraltar in 2025, completing it in 5 hours 32 minutes.

Tophane Fountain (Tophane Çeşmesi)

An impressionist landscape painting depicting Istanbul street architecture, created by Turkish painter Hoca Ali Rıza.

Teşrii

An Ottoman legal and administrative term referring specifically to legislative power—the authority to enact, amend, or repeal laws.

Strait of Hormuz

A strategic maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf (Basra Körfezi) to the Gulf of Oman (Umman Körfezi), critical for global energy transport.

Anora

The drama film centered on a young woman's sudden marriage to a Russian oligarch's son that won 5 Oscars at the 97th Academy Awards in 2025, including Best Picture.

The Starry Night (Yıldızlı Gece)

The post-impressionist masterpiece painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 inspired by the view from his asylum window in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Binaenaleyh

An Ottoman-origin conjunction frequently used in official and legal texts meaning 'therefore, consequently, for this reason'.

Aktau

The Kazakh city located on the Caspian Sea coast that was declared the 'Turkic World Capital of Culture 2025' by TÜRKSOY.

Nesrin Olgun Arslan

The athlete who became the first Turkish woman to swim across the English Channel (Manş Denizi), completing the crossing in 15 hours 47 minutes.

Aysel Önder

The Turkish para-athlete who set a world record and won gold in the women's 400m T20 final at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in India.

The Night Watch (Gece Devriyesi)

The 1642 Dutch Golden Age masterpiece by Rembrandt van Rijn, famous for its dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro) depicting a civic guard company.

Muazzez İlmiye Çığ

The renowned Turkish Sumerologist and Hittitologist who compiled cuneiform archives at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums and passed away in November 2024.

Mefkûre

An Ottoman-origin term denoting an ideal, goal, or utopia, frequently utilized in the writings of Turkism pioneer Ziya Gökalp.

Bayraktar Kızılelma

The turbofan-powered stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed by Baykar Tech capable of air-to-air missile engagements.

Sezai Karakoç

The prominent Turkish poet, thinker, and founder of the 'Diriliş' (Resurrection) movement, known for works such as 'Diriliş Neslinin Amentüsü'.

The Scream (Çığlık)

The 1893 expressionist masterpiece painted by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch depicting an agonized figure under a blood-red sky.

Haddizatında

An Ottoman-origin adverb used to express 'in reality', 'essentially', or 'intrinsically'.

Ahlatlı Hürrem Şah

The chief architect who designed the Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital, built between 1228 and 1243 and listed as Turkey's first architectural UNESCO World Heritage site.

Türksat 6A

Turkey's first domestic and national communications satellite, produced with over 80% local content and launched into space in July 2024.

Sunflowers (Ayçiçekleri)

A celebrated series of still-life paintings created by Vincent van Gogh in Arles (1888–1889) featuring vivid yellow hues.

Hasbelkader

An Ottoman-origin adverb meaning 'by fate', 'accidentally', or 'coincidentally'.

Kuzey Tunçelli

The Turkish swimmer who made history by becoming the first Turk to reach an Olympic swimming final, competing in the 1500m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Mahmut Bey Mosque

A 1366 Candaroid-era wooden hypostyle mosque located in Kastamonu, built without metal nails using interlocking wooden techniques ('Çivisiz Camii').

Alper Gezeravcı

The former Turkish Air Force fighter pilot who became Turkey's first astronaut upon joining the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) spaceflight to the ISS in 2024.

The Birth of Venus (Venüs'ün Doğuşu)

The Italian Renaissance artwork painted around 1485 by Sandro Botticelli depicting the goddess Venus emerging from the sea foam on a giant shell.

Al-Farghani (El-Fergani)

The 9th-century Islamic astronomer who worked at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, whose work 'Kitab fi Jawami' 'Ilm al-Nujum' served as a primary university textbook in Europe for centuries.

Franz Beckenbauer

The German football legend known as 'Der Kaiser' who won the FIFA World Cup both as a player (1974) and manager (1990).

Şiar

An Ottoman-origin noun referring to a motto, emblem, guiding principle, or set of values adopted by a person or society.

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (Avignonlu Kızlar)

Pablo Picasso's groundbreaking 1907 painting featuring five fractured female figures inspired by African masks, marking the birth of Cubism.

İMECE

Turkey's first sub-meter high-resolution domestic sub-orbital earth observation satellite, launched into space on April 15, 2023.

Family and Population Decade (Aile ve Nüfus On Yılı)

The designation declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the 2026–2035 period to strengthen family structures and counter declining fertility rates.

Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer

Gustav Klimt's portrait artwork that sold for $236.4 million at Sotheby's auction in November 2025, setting a modern art auction record.

María Corina Machado

The Venezuelan opposition politician awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle toward a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela.

Stanislav Petrov

The Soviet military officer who prevented a potential global nuclear war in September 1983 by correctly identifying a missile false alarm, honored with the World Citizen Award in 2004.

Parasocial (Para Sosyal)

The concept selected as Cambridge Dictionary's 2025 Word of the Year, referring to one-sided emotional relationships felt toward celebrities or AI.

Avluda Oturanlar

A 1913 painting by Turkish Impressionist artist İbrahim Çallı that fetched 2.46 million TL at an auction in Istanbul.

Cihanşümul

An Ottoman-origin term used to signify 'universal' or 'world-encompassing'.

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)

The historic Istanbul landmark converted into a mosque by Sultan Mehmed II in 1453, whose name translates literally to 'Holy Wisdom' (Kutsal Bilgelik).

The Last Supper (Son Akşam Yemeği)

The High Renaissance mural painted by Leonardo da Vinci portraying Jesus sharing his final meal with his twelve disciples.

Meşruiyet

The legal and political state of authority or governance being proper, lawful, and universally accepted.

HÜRJET

Turkey's first domestic and national jet trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ).

The Creation of Adam (Âdem'in Yaratılışı)

The iconic Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco painted by Michelangelo depicting God extending his finger to impart life to Adam.

Paleography (Paleografi)

The branch of historical science that studies and deciphers ancient writings and manuscripts.

Woman with Mimosas (Mimozalı Kadın)

A 1906 portrait painting by Osman Hamdi Bey reflecting East-West artistic synthesis.

Manhattan Project

The World War II research initiative led by the United States with physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer that produced the first nuclear weapons.

12th Development Plan (12. Kalkınma Planı)

Turkey's long-term development framework covering the 2024–2028 period under the Presidential System and the 'Century of Turkey' vision.

Yörük Woman (Yörük Kadın)

A famous painting by Nuri İyem capturing rural Anatolian nomadic life with simplified compositions and strong figurative forms.

Ab-ı Hayat Fountain (Ab-ı Hayat Çeşmesi)

A 1904 realistic painting by Hoca Ali Rıza centered on a historic Ottoman fountain.

Manifest

The Cambridge Dictionary 2024 word defined as bringing about goals and desires through positive thinking and mental visualization.

Orange Revolution (Turuncu Devrim)

The 2004 Ukrainian peaceful protest movement following contested presidential election results that ultimately led to Viktor Yushchenko taking office.

Cezeri Flying Car

Turkey's first flying car project named after Ismail al-Jazari, the 12th-century Islamic scholar and pioneer of cybernetics and robotics.

Brain Rot (Beyin Çürümesi)

The Oxford 2024 Word of the Year describing cognitive deterioration and reduced attention span caused by excessive consumption of low-quality digital content.

Girl Before a Mirror (Ayna Karşısındaki Kız)

Pablo Picasso's 1932 Cubist work depicting a young woman contemplating her reflection, exploring themes of identity and self-perception.

Perre Ancient City

A major Commagene kingdom settlement in Adıyaman that remarkably sustained little damage during the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Marie Curie

The pioneering scientist who became the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two distinct scientific fields (Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911).

The Tree of Life (Hayat Ağacı)

Gustav Klimt's 1905–1909 symbolist painting using gold leaf to represent the continuous connection between humanity, nature, and life.

Şahika Ercümen

The Turkish freediver who broke her own world record by diving 107 meters on a single breath in Kaş, dedicated to peace in Gaza and the Republic's 102nd year.

Three Graces (Üç Güzeller)

Nuri İyem's artwork portraying the serene beauty and dignity of Anatolian women.

Steel Dome (Çelik Kubbe)

Turkey's integrated multi-layered air defense system project linking systems like SİPER, HİSAR, KORKUT, and SUNGUR under a unified command network.

Osmangazi Bridge

The suspension bridge spanning Izmit Bay on the Istanbul-Izmir Highway that reduced bay travel time from 1.5 hours to 6 minutes.

The Sick Child (Hasta Çocuk)

Edvard Munch's emotional 1885–1886 painting inspired by his sister's childhood illness and death.

Kintsugi

The traditional Japanese art of mending broken ceramics with gold-dusted resin, treating flaws and repairs as unique aspects of an object's history.

Habib-i Neccar Mosque

One of the oldest Islamic places of worship in Anatolia, built in Hatay in 638 AD and tragically destroyed during the February 2023 earthquakes.