An Occupational Association: Turkish Geographical Society; Academic Activities and Contributions to the Turkish Geography
Turkish Geographical Society was established under the directives of Hasan Ali Yücel, the Minister of National Education during the First Geography Congress that convened in Ankara in 1941. It was formalized on March 12, 1942. Ever since this date, it has contributed greatly to the formation of geography as a field of science in Turkey. The studies on geography were patronized by the Turkish state in the early republican period as with many other disciplines. The three provincial chairs of the society are the Ministers of National Education; the other six heads are academics on geography. The Turkish Geographical Society attained a public character like Turkish Language Society and Turkish Historical Society in 1947 following the decision of the Council of State General Committee. The society still operates as an institution of public benefit affiliated to the Ministry of Interior and its full name is “Turkish Geographical Society Association”.
This paper has classified the available data according to the following titles: Establishment and Development of the Society, its Aims, Publications and Projects (Publications of Turkish Geographical Society [Books, Atlases, Wall Maps] and Turkish Geography Review), Scientific and Professional Meetings (Congresses, Occupational Weeks, Field Works and Geographical Trips, Teacher Workshops, Other Meetings, Secondary and High Schools Project Competitions), International Relations and Working Systematics.
This paper aims to describe the development of Turkish Geographical Society for the past 78 years as a follow-up on an earlier work entitled “The History of the Turkish Geographical Society” (Ertek and Özbakan, 2012). It presents the works composed particularly in the last eight years. A thematic list of articles published in its official publication organ, Turkish Geographical Review, has also been inscribed into the text.
Ahmet Ertek
