Journal of Turkish Studies

Journal of Turkish Studies

TURKISH RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND TURKIYAT MAGAZINE Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Ali Karavelioğlu The Istanbul University Institute of Turkology Studies was founded in 1924 by Ord. Prof. Dr. M. Fuad Köprülü. It is the first and only scientific institute in the Republic of Turkey established by a decision of the Council of Ministers. Realizing the lack of an official institution to research the rich civilization and culture created by the Turks, Gazi Mustafa Kemal requested that work begin on establishing such an institute. This would facilitate the establishment of a center already established in other countries in Turkey. Atatürk also personally selected an emblem for this institution: a grey wolf holding a torch. According to Ahmet Caferoğlu, the sixth director of the institute, Atatürk chose the "grey wolf" emblem because he meant the rebirth of Turkishness with this symbol. The torch was considered the flame of science. The institute, which began operating as a part of the Faculty of Letters at the Istanbul University, had its regulations dated November 12, 1924, stating that the institute would conduct research and publish on Turkish-related subjects, have a director, a secretary, and, as needed, assistants, guards, and orderlies. It also stated that the fees for publications would be covered by the Ministry of Education's budget. The sixth article of these regulations stated that the institute would have a journal, and that the printing of this journal would comply with the Faculty of Letters' regulations. The Institute of Turkish Studies first began operations in what is now the Professors' House, located within the Istanbul University Central Building. The allocation of such a magnificent and prominent building for the Institute of Turkish Studies is seen as evidence of Atatürk's cultural nationalism. However, the institute did not remain in this building forever. In 1948, the institution moved to the Seyyid Hasan Pasha Madrasa, adjacent to the Faculty of Letters, and in 1989, during the tenure of Rector Cem'i Demiroğlu, it moved to a detached building in Saraçhane Horhor. The institute continues its activities in this building to this day. Like the institute's building, its name has not remained the same; it has also changed. Beginning its operations as the Institute of Turkic Studies, the institution was renamed the Turkic Research Center with Higher Education Law No. 2547. It was later renamed the Institute of Turkic Studies with Law No. 3699, which was passed on January 16, 1991, and published in the Official Gazette on January 24, 1991. The institute's directors were, in succession, Ord. Prof. Dr. Mehmed Fuad Köprülü, Ord. Prof. Dr. Reşit Rahmeti Arat, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hikmet Ertaylan, Prof. Dr. Cavit Baysun, Prof. Fahir İz, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Caferoğlu, and Prof. Dr. These were held by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kaplan, Prof. Dr. Sadeddin Buluç, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kaplan, Prof. Dr. Ali Alparslan, Prof. Dr. Mertol Tulum, Prof. Dr. Kemal Eraslan, Prof. Dr. Mertol Tulum, Prof. Dr. Osman Fikri Sertkaya, and Prof. Dr. Musa Duman. Today, this position is held by Prof. Dr. Kemal Yavuz. Activities With the granting of a special budget to the Institute of Turkish Studies, serious work began in 1926, a scientific staff was established within the Institute, and publishing activities began. The establishment of the Institute's library is also significant in this context. The foundation of the Institute of Turkish Studies Library was laid by the 7,325-volume library of Turkologist Nikolay Katanov, a Khakas Turk. This library was purchased on behalf of the state by Sait Halim Pasha, who went to Russia in 1914, or by Tevfik Pasha, who was alive at the time. It was transferred to the Istanbul University and then to the Institute of Turkic Studies. According to information conveyed by Necat Birinci from Ahmet Caferoğlu, Katanov compiled these books for the Turkology Department of the Academy of Sciences to be established in Azerbaijan; however, upon his death, his wife sold the books. Katanov's library included all Russian publications on Turkology published up to that time, as well as works on the same subject written in other languages. Therefore, this collection undoubtedly made a significant contribution to the institute's library. Furthermore, donations from figures such as Hüseyin Sadettin Arel, Prof. Dr. Hamit Ongunsu, Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Sultan Beg, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, and Mehmet Behçet Yazar also contributed to the library's development. The Institute Library, which initially housed 7,000 volumes, grew to 10,000 in 1931, and as a result of these donations, it grew to 50,000. However, while the Institute was operating in the Seyyid Hasan Pasha Madrasa, some of the library's books were damaged by moisture due to the theft of some of the lead from the Madrasa. During Mertol Tulum's tenure as director, the damaged books were meticulously repaired. In recent years, the library has been further enriched by donations from Prof. Dr. Oktay Aslanapa, Prof. Dr. Osman Nedim Tuna, and Prof. Dr. Muharrem Ergin. The manuscripts in the Institute Library have been cataloged by Mehmet Zeren and İsmail Güleç. This catalog includes the books donated by Prof. Dr. Osman Nedim Tuna.