<p>Hazelnut (<i>Corylus avellana</i>), the fourth most important tree nut propagation remains a significant challenge due to its recalcitrant nature, genotype dependency, and the limited efficiency of conventional propagation methods. Therefore, the establishment of a reliable and reproducible in vitro propagation system is required for economically important Turkish hazelnut cultivars such as 'Tombul' and 'Çakıldak'. For this purpose, an <i>in vitro</i> propagation protocol was optimized using zygotic embryos of 'Kalınkara' as model cultivar. The media consisted of standard, 1/2, and 1/4 Murashige and Skoog-MS and Woody Plant Medium-WPM, each supplemented with 1.5&#xa0;mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.01&#xa0;mg L⁻¹ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 0.5&#xa0;mg L⁻¹ gibberellic acid (GA₃). Among the tested conditions, ½ MS medium supported superior shoot development was subsequently selected for root induction. Root induction was evaluated on ½ MS-based media containing two IBA concentrations (2 and 3&#xa0;mg L⁻¹) and three Fe-EDDHA levels (0, 100, and 200&#xa0;mg L⁻¹). After 45&#xa0;days, 100&#xa0;mg L⁻¹ Fe-EDDHA resulted in the highest rooting response. Thus, the optimized propagation protocol of 'Kalınkara' enabled efficient shoot and root formation both in the as 'Tombul' and 'Çakıldak', leading to successful acclimatization following to micropropagation from vegetative tissues. These findings demonstrate that zygotic embryo-based <i>in vitro</i> culture combined with targeted medium optimization represents an effective approach for overcoming propagation limitations in hazelnut.</p>