Atatürk University

The establishment of Atatürk University represents the fulfillment of one of the significant initiatives envisioned during the early years of the Turkish Republic. On November 1, 1937, in his opening address for the legislative year at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emphasized the need for a major university in Eastern Anatolia. He called for the necessary steps to be taken to realize this vision.

Following Atatürk's death, the initiative lay dormant for twelve years until the third President of Turkey, Celal Bayar, revived the proposal in his parliamentary speech on November 1, 1950. Responding to this, the second Adnan Menderes government included the establishment of a university in its agenda. The Ministry of Education issued a directive (No. XIV/5366, dated June 11, 1951) to university administrations, instructing them to form a scientific commission to plan a higher education and cultural center in the eastern region. Subsequently, the inter-university board convened and established a 15-member scientific commission, with five representatives selected by the senates of each of the three universities existing in Turkey at the time.

The commission, chaired by Minister of Education Tevfik İleri, held its first meeting in Ankara on July 7, 1951. It was decided that an investigative tour of the eastern provinces would be conducted, which included the participation of President Bayar. The commission ultimately selected Erzurum as the location for the proposed university, a decision formalized in a detailed report.

On February 25, 1953, the draft law for the establishment of a university in Eastern Anatolia was approved, becoming Law No. 6059. In March 1954, under Minister of Education Prof. Dr. Salim Burçak, the institution was officially named "Atatürk University" under Law No. 6373. Subsequently, the government sought assistance from the United States, engaging with the American Organization for Economic Development. As a result, an agreement was reached to receive support, modeled on the land-grant universities in the United States. A delegation from the University of Nebraska, including experts such as Albin T. Anderson, J.O. Keller, M.L. Baker, and S.A. Smith, visited Turkey in July 1954 and submitted recommendations for the university’s establishment in a report dated August 10, 1955.

The draft law for the university was adopted by the Grand National Assembly as Law No. 6990 on May 31, 1957. It came into force on June 7, 1957, following its publication in the Official Gazette, officially marking the foundation of Atatürk University. As of the 2016–2017 academic year, Atatürk University had approximately 280,000 students, 2,610 faculty members, 22 faculties, 18 colleges, 8 institutes, and 30 research centers. Since its establishment, the university has produced over 170,000 graduates.