# Turkish research university performance rankings > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-research-university-performance-rankings > Updated: 2026-09-20T06:42:27.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) released the 2026 Research Universities Performance Evaluation results, showing advancements across several Turkish institutions. Atatürk University rose from 16th to 13th place, becoming the highest-ranking university located outside of Ankara and Istanbul. Fırat University also improved its standing, moving from 21st to 20th place. These advancements were attributed to increased academic productivity and strengthened research capacity. Sabancı University maintained its position as the second-ranked research university in the country. The institution reported significant growth in research capacity, including a 2.44-point score increase driven by improvements in scientific publications, citation rates, and intellectual property. Notably, Sabancı University saw a 700% increase in collaborative patent documents between universities and a 150% rise in patents involving the business world. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-20: Sabancı University maintains second place in Turkey research rankings Sabancı University maintained its rank as Turkey's second-best research university in the 2026 YÖK rankings, showing massive growth in patent filings and research capacity. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sabanc-university-maintains-second-place-in-turkey-research-rankings ### 2026-09-17: Turkish research universities rise in 2026 performance rankings The 2026 Research Universities Performance Evaluation results show Atatürk University rising to 13th place and Fırat University climbing to 20th in Turkey's research rankings. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-research-universities-rise-in-2026-performance-rankings --- Cite as: Turkish research university performance rankings. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-research-university-performance-rankings