Abstract:

As is known, the world’s exploration efforts in Central Asia intensified in the second half of the 19th century. During this period when colonialism was at its peak, Western researchers raced in their attempt to solve the mysteries of Central Asia. Although these studies served colonialism, research results that reveal the deep old aspects of Turkish culture have brought what is known about Turkish history to different points. Therefore, while the developing Turkology was experiencing its golden age, historical studies were bearing fruit one at a time, with valuable works in general being written about every period of Central Asian history. In the first years of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye, interest occurred in research on the old periods of Turkish history, and efforts were made to establish it on solid foundations through the institutions that were opened. The first of these was the Turkic Studies Institute, established within Istanbul University on November 12, 1924 and followed by the Turkish Historical Society, which was established in Ankara in 1931. With the subsequent university reform, academic studies became more widespread once the Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters and History Department were opened, as well as Ankara University’s Faculty of Language, History, and Geography and its History Departments. The Departments of General Turkish History in the History Department of Ankara University and the Departments of General Turkish and Asian History in the History Department of Istanbul University were established to study the history of Turks living outside of Türkiye as well as the history of ancient Turks. With the opening of other universities in later periods, the number of studies increased and became widespread.

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