MISSION 

Mission of the Research Institute of Turkology is to carry out high level education and research activities in the fields of Turkish language, literature, history, art history, cinema, theater and music.

VISION​

• To investigate and examine the language, literature, history, art history, music, cinema, theater, folklore, political, social, demographic, economic, cultural structure and conditions of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkic communities in the countries outside the borders of the Republic of Turkey with a holistic perspective and interdisciplinary approaches by establishing a cause and effect relationship,
  
• To share the results obtained from these fields with the scientific world through institute publications and periodicals,
  
• To produce solutions to the national and international problems encountered today and to conduct research and studies on these issues, to write theses, seminars and articles with education and training activities,
  
• Preparing audio and video information content and sharing it on various internet channels in order to inform the public on the truth,
  
• Training scientists,
  
• Organizing symposiums, panels, workshops, seminars, conferences and similar events,
  
• To produce projects to better promote and teach Turkish culture, history, language, thought, literature, art, music and civilization.
  

Ord. Prof. Mehmed Fuad Köprülü

HISTORY

After the proclamation of the Republic on 29 October 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk assigned Köprülüzâde Mehmed Fuad (Professor ordinarius Mehmed Fuad Köprülü) to establish a sientific institute within the Istanbul University (İstanbul Darülfünûnu) to examine, to research and to publish the results obtained in the fields of Turkish culture, civilisation, language, literature, folklore etc. The Institute of Turcology as a seat of learning and a part of the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University was established after circa one year preparatory period on 12 November 1924 by the decree numbered 1111 of the Council of Ministers under the presidency of Atatürk. The Institute of Turkology is the first and the only scientific institute established by a decree of the Council of Ministers in the Republic of Turkey.

The name of the institute was between 1924 and 1982 Institute of Turkology (Türkiyat Enstitüsü). After renaming as Research Institute of Turkology (Türkiyat Araştırma Merkezi) according to law on universities numbered 2547 it was active for 67 years as a part of the Faculty of Letters. Finally it was reconstituted by the law numbered 3699 accepted on 16 January 1991 and published on 24 January 1991 in the Official Gazette as an institution named Research Institute of Turcology connected to the Istanbul University Rectorate.

As it can clearly be seen from science fields of directors of the Institute, the main working area of the Research Institute of Turcology was the Turkish language and literature. The main working area of the Institute has been determined as three departments consisting of Turkish language and literature, Turkish history and Turkish art.

The first building of the Institute is the building used at present as Professor’s House at the entrance of the Istanbul University headquarters. The Institute moved in 1948 to the Seyyid Hasan Pasha Madrasa behind Beyazit Bath. It is next to the Faculty of Letters. From 1989 it was placed to the new five-story building with 2000 m2 specially made for it against Fatih Park in Horhor.

Nikolay A. Katanov’s library of 7325 volumes received for 3000 pounds of gold in 1922 has constituted the core of the Institute Library. The Library has at present more than 55,000 books together with 10.00 books purcased in 1931. Among the book donations can firstly be mentioned Hüseyin Sadettin Arel’s Turkish music weighted library (2005) as well as book donations of Prof. Dr. Hamit Ongunsu (1968), Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil (1971), Sultan Beg (1973), Prof. Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (1974), Mehmet Behçet Yazar (1980), Prof. Dr. Muharrem Ergin (1995), Prof. Dr. Osman Nedim Tuna and Prof. Dr. Oktay Aslanapa (2000). All in addition to these, 2360 dissertations such as undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral dissertations written by students, teaching and research fellows of the Department of the Turkish Language and Literature constitute a special section of the library.

DIRECTORS

1. Ord. Prof. Mehmed Fuad Köprülü (Türk Edebiyatı Profesörü)

2. Ord. Prof. Dr. Reşid Rahmeti Arat (Eski Türk Dili)

3. Prof. Dr. İsmail Hikmet Ertaylan (Eski Türk Edebiyatı)

4. Prof. Dr. Cavit Baysun (Türk Tarihi)

5. Prof. Fahir İz (Eski Türk Edebiyatı)

6. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Caferoğlu (Yeni Türk Dili)

7. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kaplan (Yeni Türk Edebiyatı)

8. Prof. Dr. Sâdettin Buluç (Yeni Türk Dili)

9. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kaplan (Yeni Türk Edebiyatı)

10. Prof. Dr. Ali Alparslan (Eski Türk Edebiyatı)

11. Prof. Dr. Mertol Tulum (Yeni Türk Dili)

12. Prof. Dr. Kemal Eraslan (Yeni Türk Dili)

13. Prof. Dr. Mertol Tulum (Yeni Türk Dili)

14. Prof. Dr. Osman Fikri Sertkaya (Eski Türk Dili)

15. Prof. Dr. Musa Duman (Yeni Türk Dili)

16. Prof. Dr. Kemal Yavuz (Eski Türk Edebiyatı)

17. Prof. Dr. Hayati Develi (Dil Bilimi)

18. Prof. Dr. A. Azmi Bilgin (Eski Türk Edebiyatı)

19. Prof. Dr. Fikret Turan (Eski Türk Dili)

	Name-Surname	Job Definition
	Prof. Dr. Mustafa Balcı Director of the Institute	 Job Definition
	Prof. Dr. İbrahim Gültekin Assistant Director of the Institute	 Job Definition
	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şefaattin Deniz Assistant Director of the Institute	Job Definition
	Gülcan BALCI BAŞKAYA Secretary of the Institute	Job Definition

​

Photograph	Name-Surname	Job Definition
	Gülcan BALCI BAŞKAYA Institute Secretary gulcan.baskaya@istanbul.edu.tr 16107	Job Definition

​

Click here to access the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan of the Institute.

Public Internal Control Guide

Internal Control Question Form

Photograph	Name-Surname	Job Definition
	Murat Şimşek Lecturer murat.simsek@istanbul.edu.tr 16098	Görev Tanımı

​

Photograph	Name-Surname	Job Definition
	Ersin BEKİK  Employee  ersin.bekik@istanbul.edu.tr  16108	Document Registration Archive Affairs Library Services Technical Works

​