## 1 Introduction
Oxygen and heat-sensitive food components like enzymes, proteins, fruits, etc., can be vacuum dried successfully by minimization of their losses [9; 14; 15; 16]. A puffed structure is obtained in the product related to vacuum-induced expansion of air and water vapor [15]. Vacuum drying creates an elastic and compact structure in the dried material and can cause difficulties in milling [16]. Among the other drying methods, spray drying is widely used in the dairy industry [17; 18]. Dairy powders, such as milk powder, whey, cheese, cream and ice cream mixes, are commonly spray dried [18]. In literature, yogurt is dried by microwave-vacuum drying by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [19] and [PERSON] et al. [20]; microwave-assisted foam-mat drying by [PERSON], 2021 [21]; refracance window drying by [PERSON] et al. [22]; spray drying by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [23], [PERSON] et al. [24], [PERSON] et al. [4], [PERSON] et al. [25], [PERSON] et al. [26] and [PERSON] [27]; convective air drying by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [28] and [PERSON] and [PERSON] [29]; convective type tray drying by [PERSON] et al. [24] methods. However, the drying process in _Kurut_ production was investigated experimentally by the convective drying method by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [30], [PERSON] and [PERSON] [31] and [PERSON] et al. [32]. An optimization study was carried out by [PERSON] and [PERSON] in that pH, salt (%) and centrifugation conditions for getting strained yogurt were varied. _Kurut_ samples were convective air dried at 25 \({}^{\circ}\)C and 1.50 m/s up to approximately 45% moisture content. Centrifugation rather than spontaneous straining of the serum by a cloth bag and also the use of air circulating air drying instead of open-air drying reduced the production time from 2 months to 8 days. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [31] investigated the changes occurring during the 120-day storage period in _Kes_ (_Kurut_) produced for frying under refrigerated conditions. Drying was carried out at 25 \({}^{\circ}\)C and 0.5 m/s air circulation for 10 h up to 51.42% moisture content. At least a 4-month storage period was defined for _Kurut_ samples by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [31]. In another study, the thin-layer drying behavior of _Kurut_ was investigated at temperatures of 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 \({}^{\circ}\)C by the convective air-drying method in the tray dryer with a constant product thickness of 0.5 cm and an air velocity of 1.5 m/s. In those conditions, _Kurut_ samples were dried up to 15.75% moisture content and the drying times reported for 50 \({}^{\circ}\)C and 70 \({}^{\circ}\)C were 615 min (10.25 h) and 515 min (8.58 h), respectively. The two-term model was found to be the most suitable model (among eleven drying models investigated) describing drying characteristics of _Kurut_ samples [32]. Unlike the existing studies in the present study, the possible use of oven drying at atmospheric and/or vacuum conditions in _Kurut_ production are investigated. Use of this conventional technology will provide a guide for industrial and batch type _Kurut_ productions in a more controlled environment than the traditional sun drying technique. _Kurut_ serves many advantages over yogurt in handling, transportation and storage. Besides that, today, _Kurut_ is considered to be a strategically important food product, especially for difficult conditions such as war, disasters and/or a valuable protein source for milk-deficient times. In traditional sun drying of _Kurut_, there is always seasonal and climatological dependency and also risk of physical, microbiological and nutritional deterioration. The investigation of alternative drying techniques in _Kurut_ production is thought to be valuable in this respect. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reported studies using the oven drying technique, regarded as conventional instruments, either under vacuum or atmospheric conditions in _Kurut_ production. Longer drying times are required in traditional sun drying of _Kurut_ and bring many environmental obstacles mentioned above.