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BACKGROUND AND INITIAL FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES The history of the Turkish Air Force, one of the first military aviation organizations in the world, dates back to 1909.Efforts on aviation were started in 1909 in the Turkish Army and these efforts were developed in 1910. A research team was sent to Europe and another one to the International Aviation Conference held in Paris in the same year. By the end of 1910, a final decision was made and some officers were deemed appropriate to be sent to Europe to receive training as aviation personnel. However, in spite of this important decision taken by the high command level of the Turkish Army pertaining to aviation, the required funding couldn't be provided due to the financial constraints encountered in the country at that time, and the actions required by the subject directive couldn't be taken in 1910.

M.Şevki Pasha Mahmut Şevket Pasha, Minister of War, who anticipated the future importance of aviation in terms of national defense continued to be closely interested in this subject, and Captain Fesa from cavalry and Second Lieutenant Yusuf Kenan from engineering corps who had scored the best in the examination made on 28 June 1911 were sent to the Flight School of Bleriot Aircraft Company in France, in July 1911, to receive flight training. During these developments in 1911, Staff Lieutenant Colonel Süreyya (İlmen) assumed the responsibility of establishing the aviation organization and the first formal aviation establishment of the Turkish Army was inaugurated with the name "Aviation Commission" within the 2nd Branch of the Scientific Detachments, Fortification General Inspectorate, Ministry of War. Süreyya Bey

First Air Organizaton Wilbur and Orwille Wright brothers successfully flew the first powered aircraft on 17 December 1903, which is considered to be the beginning of the modern and high technology aviation. Eight years later the Turkish Military Aviation Organization took its place among the world's first aviation organizations almost in the same years along with the USA, France, the U.K., Germany, Italy, Austria and Russia who established their military aviation organizations between 1909 and 1912.

THE TURKISH AIR FORCE SINCE 1944

In 1944, a decision was made to combine all air units, functioning as affiliated to Air Under Secretariat within the structure of Ministry of Defense for logistic support and to Turkish General Staff for operations and training since 1940, under a single command. For this purpose, the Air Force Command was established on 31 January 1944. Thus the Turkish Air Force Command acquired its own identity as a separate command within the structure of the Turkish Armed Forces along with the Army and Navy.

In the organization of the Turkish Air Force which was actually inaugurated on 4 February 1944, only the combatant air units were affiliated to the command while logistics support units and training establishments were left within the structures of the Ministry of Defense and General Staff respectively. Lieutenant General Zeki Doğan was assigned as the first commander of the newly established Turkish Air Force. The Air Force Command was upgraded to army level in 1947, and logistic support establishments and all air units / establishments other than the Air War (Staff) College were affiliated to the Air Force Command in 1948 and 1950, respectively.

Subsequently, in parallel with the developing aviation technology, schools inaugurated at various times to train aviation personnel on specialties and branches other than pilots, were gathered under a single command in 1950, and for this purpose the Air Technical Schools Command was established. In addition to the abovementioned subjects, an important development also occurred in 1950 about aircraft types in the inventory of the Air Force and a decision was made to acquire jet aircraft. Therefore, eight flying personnel were sent to the USA on 15 October 1950 to receive jet training and were assigned as instructors in orientation training for jet aircraft, after completing their training in the USA and returning to the country on 31 August 1951.

In the same year, the establishment of bases and squadrons was initiated, and the 9th Jet Base Command established in Balıkesir became the first jet base of the Turkish Air Force while the 191st, 192nd and the 193th squadrons the first jet squadrons. After Turkey's integration into NATO in 1952, transition to jet aircraft gained speed and propeller-driven aircraft were gradually staged out. In the same year air divisions were upgraded to corps level and named as tactical air forces. On 30 August 1956, the Army Corps Air Training Command was established and all units and institutions regarding the training of air force personnel were gathered under the jurisdiction of this command. Hava Harp Okulu Yemin Töreni

Later, it was called the Air Training Command in 1957. The training and proficiency level of the Turkish Air Force personnel was increased to the level required by the modern age and this level was maintained at all times in between the dates the Air Force was established and the year 1951 during which transition to jet aircraft was accomplished. This characteristic of the Turkish Air Force personnel continued even after the transition to jet aircraft and became a source of pride. In the abovementioned period; some important events which will give an idea about the level of training and proficiency of the Turkish Air Force personnel included: two championships in international military pentathlon, flight rally, 1954 - 1955 and hence winning the Challenge Cup; first place in Best Hit air gunnery race, 1971 and air gunnery race, 1955 performed in NATO's Southeastern Region; second place in Best Hit air gunnery race, 1972; championships in air gunnery race, 1973 and military pentathlon race, 1975; and finally the achievements of the Turkish Air Force during the Cyprus intervention in 1974.

The capabilities of the Turkish Air Force gained new dimensions as of 1980s with the 3rd generation aircraft incorporated into service. The flight training systems were arranged according to this inventory structure and the Air Force reached a training readiness level to meet the requirements of the 2000s. Within this context, the Turkish Air Force units participated in the Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo operations by deploying one of its squadrons at Ghedi Air Base Italy since 1993 and Aviano Air Base since 29 May 2000 in line with the United Nations resolutions and generated 35647.30/10626 hours/sorties without any incident so far and returned to Turkey.

Technical and academic training capabilities were also improved at the same level and as of 1990s personnel at various ranks from different countries started training at the Air Force Academy, Air Technical Schools Command, Air Language School Command, Flight Schools and particularly at Aerospace Medicine and Physiological Training Center in Turkey using state of the art systems.