History

The aim of the association when it was founded was to improve the effectiveness of informatics technologies in Turkey and to make sure that this technical science is implemented in a way to contribute to the country’s development. Below is the list of steps to be taken to achieve this aim:

• Bringing people together who work at different levels in the field of informatics and information technology.
• Promoting aims and methods of informatics and information technologies work.
• Ensuring cooperation between people from informatics and information technologies.
• Conducting researches at universities and higher schools of Turkey on informatics and information technologies to achieve a valid level of education.
• Organising seminars and special trainings for those who want to work on informatics and information technologies.
• Improving effectiveness of human resources employed in the areas of informatics and information technologies through conferences, seminars and on-the job trainings.
• Looking for solutions for professional challenges and conveying these to relevant people.
• Providing opportunities of consultancy in solution of technical problems.
• Conducting researches, issuing reports to make sure that compliance with national goals is the primary focus in selection, purchase, use and operation of computers.
• Cooperating with and issuing warnings if necessary to public agencies, universities and private bodies in order to design and run soft and hard ware related work at international level and independently.
• Publishing technical and scientific materials.
• Working for the unity of terminology between informatics and information technologies, announcing and disseminating new terms.
• Compiling work in informatics and information technologies in Turkey, and promoting original solutions.
• Working on defining the occupational groups in the field of informatics and information technologies, determining their rights appropriately within the context of laws regulations.
• Organising international and national conferences, seminars, etc.; and attending similar activities.
• Expanding members’ opportunities of work and finding jobs; working to ensure their legal and community safety.
• Following up developments abroad; sending people to abroad when necessary to this end.

In the years the aims of the association were preserved. We still have the aim of “ensuring work in informatics contributes to the development of the country at contemporary levels”.

In the past where the steps to be taken are listed (called activities in the current by-law), a couple of articles have been changed without changing anything directly linked to the objectives of the association (in the first version of the by-law, article a, c (current b), e, f (current c), l, n (current d); in some of the articles new concepts were introduced (in the current d standards, in e quality, in k working groups were introduced), on the other hand the phrase “improving the effectiveness” in the aim [of informatics work] is shifted to the current article a. The newly added articles are:

• Assist in increasing and developing the informatics technology and related technologies and in maintaining the use of computers in our country in a modern and effective manner,
• Assist in providing the integration with the world in hardware, software, communication and multimedia related issues,
• Provide the increase of consciousness throughout the country in the direction of becoming an “Information-based Society”
• Forming working groups, conducting and having conducted researches on current and future issues.
• Acquires immovable properties for purposes of establishing and operating clubs, recreational centers and similar facilities in order to improve relationship between its members.

All founders of the association are Turkish citizens and they are listed below:

1. Aydın KÖKSAL, Electronics Eng. M.Sc, Manager, HU Information Technologies Centre (ITC)
2. Önol ÖRS, Mechanical/Industrial Eng. M.Sc, General Director, SİSAG Ltd., Atatürk Blv. 233/11, Ankara
3. Ersay GÜRSOY, İTİA, Assistant Manager., HU ITC
4. Bülent DİKMAN, Electronics Eng. M.Sc, Operating Eng., HU ITC
5. Atalay YUNUSOĞLU, Electronics Eng. M.Sc, Uzm. Sist. Müh., HU ITC
6. Tamer UYKAL, Mining Eng. M.Sc, Operational Research (OR) Uzm., TÜBİTAK OR Unit
7. Ünal YARIMAĞAN,Electronics Eng. M.Sc, Project Coordinator, HU ITC
8. Coşkun ARSLAN, Electronics Eng. M.Sc, Specialised System Eng., HU ITC

The total numbers of members at the end of years have been as follows:

1971: 68, 1972: 106, 1973: 167, 1974: 224, 1975: 303, 1976: 447, 1977: 577, 1983: 1.086, 1989: 1.460, 1991: 2.269, 1995: 3.277, 1998: 4.350, 2000: 5.021, 2003: 5.982.

1. Aydın Köksal, April 22, 1971 – April 12, 1975 (4 years, 4 terms)
2. Güney Gönenç, April12, 1975 – July 10, 1975 (3 months)
3. Necdet Bulut, July 10, 1975 – April 29, 1976 (9,5 months)
4. Kaya Kılan, April 29, 1976 – December 2, 1979 (3 years 7 months, 3 terms)
5. Ümit Karakaş, December 2, 1979 – April 21, 1981 (1 year 5 months, 1,5 terms, he left to go the States)
6. Erdoğan Yücel, April 21, 1981 – December 25, 1981 (8 months)
7. Aydın Köksal, December 25, 1981 – June 15, 1987 (5,5 years, 4 terms)
8. Ersin Töreci, June 15, 1987 – February 9, 1995 (7 years 8 months, 6 terms)
9. Ali Arifoğlu, February 9, 1995 – May 25, 1997 (2 years 3 months, 1 term)
10. Rahmi Aktepe, February 25, 1997 – March 12, 1999 (2 years, 1 term)
11. Nezih Kuleyin, March 12, 1999 – February 24, 2000 (1 term, he left due to his job)
12. İnci Pekgüleç Apaydın, February 24, 2000 – March 30, 2001 (1 year)
13. Rahmi Aktepe, March 30, 2001 – May 5, 2004 (3 years 1 month, 2 terms,)
14. Turhan Menteş 27 March 2005 – (3 terms)

When you have a closer look at the first five years of TBD, you will immediately notice that a corporate identity based on self-confidence, devotion and cooperation, comprehensive, embracing, well-planned, organized, and quick, which ensures sustainability and is in line with the aims of the association,.

The “firsts” pointing at the emergence of this identity in the first five years are summarized below.

TBD’s driving force to emerge the idea of informatics in Turkey and to lay the foundations of a society based on knowledge, and to transform the country for development has been ensured by TBD’s well chosen aims, areas of work and activity determined with foresight, and adoption and preservation of positive “principles of work and activities” in a manner to form a “cultural identity”.

These principles can be summarized as follows:

• Those who adopt informatics as a field of occupation act in cooperation to promote and develop this new industry/service, overcoming common problems even in competitive circumstances; they work in cooperation.
• It is always remembered that, depending on the 3^rd techno-scientific revolution becoming a reality, informatics can only evolve in a society that has completed the process of nationalization and is composed of modern people who have the conscious of citizenship, are purified themselves from individual prejudices and traditional believes, who don’t recognize a guide but rational scientific thoughts.
• TBD is a voluntary body that believes in science, techno-science, has confidence in its nation, and adheres to Atatürk’s policy. It doesn’t make compromises about these.
• The duty of a person who works in the field of informatics is to design and create informatics systems. Informatics people design a new, more qualified, effective and sophisticated order where they could make use of developing computers, communication, and qualified manpower. Therefore it is unthinkable for informatics people to have conservative approaches, let alone being reactionary.
• TBD members use the constitutional national language Turkish at management, service, science, education; they know that social development is only possible through the development of national language and citizen consciousness. Thanks to this awareness thousands of informatics terms were produced and used everywhere, no compromises were made in this field.
• TBD is open to everyone who wants to benefit from the idea of informatics and who are willing to help develop this techno-science. Members at different education levels and from various occupations have found room in several working teams of TBD. This is why the subheading of Informatics journal is “Informatics Culture Journal”.
• TBD members know that achieving the goals of the association requires a long term transition; by avoiding short term, short cut solutions they move towards right solutions with based on principles, contributing to Turkey’s becoming a modern, prosperous central country.
• TBD has a modest and democratic environment dominated by behaviours in favour of people, however flattery and populism is not favoured, criticism and self-criticism is easily done, and no compromise is made about the basic principles.
• TBD, as a principle, is an effective environment for team work. It has adopted the tradition of sharing knowledge at every level, a leadership that is similar to “team captains” in sports, since its establishment.

1977, 23 June.: Establishment of TBD Istanbul Branch. It was closed after a while due to lack of activity but then reopened in 1998.

1977 July: TBD started to publish messages. However, due to these monthly updates, Informatics which is a six-monthly journal hadn’t been published for two years.

1977:  During SİSAG (one of HU Foundation Companies) strike which was the first occasion in informatics sector TBD acted as a mediator, preventing bloodshed. In the very same year the manager of METU Computer Center fired 26 people accusing them by sabotaging the computer system and TBD published a declaration reproaching the management. 

1978, 8 Dec.: Former Head of TBD Dr. Necdet Bulut was shot and killed at an inhumane attack in Trabzon where he was going to establish ITC for KTÜ-EHBE (Black Sea Technical University)

1978-82:  2nd, 3rd and 4th National Informatics Congresses were held in Ankara and Izmir; papers were published in the form of a book. 81 papers submitted in 1982 were published in two books and an exhibition accompanies the congress.

1979: TBD Commission on Defending the Social Rights of Informatics Staff was established to write the document on staff titles, duties and definitions of required information and experience for informatics area.

1979, 30 Nov.: Meeting on Computer Usage and Policy of Computerisation in Turkey was held in Ankara; there were five speakers (TBD: K.Kılan, DPT: B.Epir, EMO: G.Gönenç, METU: A.Elçi, HU: A.Köksal) and almost a hundred attendees.

1979: TDr. Necdet Bulut Science and Technical Sciences Award started by All Lecturers Association (TÜMÖD) was given to the founder of ITU Faculty of Electrics late T.Özker and the founder of TBD Dr. A.Köksal.

1980, Feb.: TBD wrote a Table of Extra Payment for informatics staff suggesting that they should be classified as technical man power, and submitted it to the government.

1981, 7-8 Dec.: A symposium on national Planning and Development Policies in Computer Sciences was held in the memory of Dr. Necdet Bulut in KTÜ, Trabzon; the booklet of papers was published as the special edition of KTÜ-EHBE Bulletin in 1982. The panel on Healthy and Balanced Dissemination of Computers in Turkey and Computer Sciences had F. Ankara (DPT), B. Epir (METU), A. Hacınlıyan (BU), A. Köksal (HU), O. Manas (EU), E. Yücel (TBD) as speakers and the panel was chaired by T. Karaçay (KTU).

1981, 25 Dec.: TBD set a working team to examine feasibility for Informatics Foundation of Turkey.

1982, 15 March: Establishment of TBD Union of Information Technology Centres (TBD-BİMB). The first administrative board: A. Yıldırım (Ministry of Finance), Ö. Demirel (Ministry of Forestry), Ü. Timur (Turkish YK Bank), E. Elçi (PET-KİM), S. Mocan (Sümerbank), U. Aykal (PO).

1982, 1 June:  The first employee of TBD started working, Nurten Kuleyin; he kept working for 14.5 years till his retirement on January 31, 1997. Second employee Yeşim Ergun employed ın September 17, 1993 is still working.

1982 June: KTU started “TBD Informatics Award In the Memory of Dr. Necdet Bulut” on December 18, 1981.

1982, 21 June: With the 15^th issue, Informatics journal’s size changed to 19,8×20 cm with a coloured glossy cover, and  A. Köksal took over the responsibility of the journal in addition to being head of TBD again; the journal included articles written by people from outside informatics circles and turned into a more colourful informatics culture journal. Printing was done in cooperation with Meteksan Ltd that agreed to print 3.000 copies so long as the costs are paid and journals were distributed to whole country on a larger scale.

Since Informatics started to be issued quarterly as a mature professional journal, Regional Communication Responsibles (Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Elazığ, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, İstanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli, Konya, Trabzon and Zonguldak), and Responsibles for Abroad Communication were identified (USA: Prof. Ş. Utku, Europe: E. Gelenbe, Canada: S. Kavlakoğlu, Prof. T. Ören); English abstracts of a selection of articles, national and international activities, and an oil painting representing Turkey (our creativity) were included in the journal.

1982: TBD Training Programs were restructured: Introduction to Computer Programming; Algol and PL/1 was added to Fortran IV and Cobol languages; and some training programs were settled such as a 54-hour program on Introduction to Computer Structure and the Assembly Language; Data Structures and Algorithms; Data Set Arrangement Methods; Project Design, Development and Documentation; Operation Systems; Data Base Management Systems; a 30-hour programme on ITC Management; Feasibility Examination and System Selection.

In between, the computer named Boncuk 09 designed and manufactured by Mega Ltd and M100, M200, M300 computers (manufactured in Turkey along with the printers) manufactured by Biltek Ltd between 1979-82 with Kienzle (West German) licence were put in the market. TC Ziraat Bank, orders 329 pre-paid computers to Biltek in order to support the national computer industry hoped to develop in HU Beytepe; despite the success in hardware production and supplied 400 computers including the ones ordered by Gendarmerie and EGO, in our view as not enough importance was attached to software and application development and subsidy provided for import was not ensured for local production (E. Pakdemirli), this breakthrough is ceased.

1983 May: Informatics Turkey 1983 Almanac is published as the 17^th issue of the journal. The Special Part is headed Computers and Communication. Almanac included the following: TBD By-Laws, Log of Members (first 1040 members); Log of People Working in Informatics in Turkey (duties, expertise, phone numbers, etc.); Log of TBD ITCs (model of computers, manufacturing/supplying company, manager, human resources, phone numbers, etc.); Log of Hard and Software Products Marketed in Turkey (detailed and sorted according to the firms); Companies that Attended BÜKOMA 82 Fair; A. Köksal’s notes on ITC Management and Design Management; Technical Staff Role Definitions for ITCs; Feasibility Examination in Acquisition of Computers (headings for DPT EBİ Continuous Specialization Commission); A.Köksal’s opening speech at Informatics ’82 TBD IV. National Informatics Congress, İzmir; TBD Union of Information Technology Centres (BİM-B) Regulation; BİM-B member bodies (address, manager, etc., 51 bodies in total); A. Köksal’s work on Turkish Informatics Bibliography (almost 800 publications in Turkey between 1970-83); Post-graduate degree in Computer Science (Computer Engineering Departments at 10 universities, their systems, lecturers, offered degrees, courses, etc.); Chronology of Informatics Industry (1874-1982).

As an intensive source of information that was carefully designed, this had been a trustable reference for many informatics staff for years.

1983, Addition: As a result of TBD’s work, Informatics and Communication Technologies was among the priority ones in the document named Turkish Science Policy 1983-2003.

1984, 31 Jan.: TBD moved into its own place after being hosted by A. Köksal at his house on Hoşdere Street for 14 years: Hatay s. 8/35, Yenişehir, Ankara

1984: National Lottery organised a special lottery for the 5^th TBD National Informatics Congress. Congress especially opposed to MEB and YOK’s intention of shifting the language of education to English. TBD supported the campaign of “yes to foreign language, no to education in foreign language” along with 88 other NGOs in 1999.

1984: TBD’s attendance to Computer Congress organised by Computer Journal of UTE Company: A. Köksal, K. Kılan, A. Elçi, Ü. Karakaş chaired sessions; they underlined the need for mediating conflicts of interests and cooperation between efforts completing each other.

1984, Dec.: On the 18^th issue of Informatics 2 science fiction stories were published for the first time. In the following years TBD started a tradition of offering awards for original science-fiction stories each year.

1985-90: Informatics was printed in various printing houses in the market preserving its qualities.

1985, April: 25^th anniversary of the settlement of the first computer in 1960 in TCK is celebrated with a ball in Ankara, Chinatown with a large participation. Within the framework of the 25^th Anniversary a panel on Youth and Computers was organised in Ankara on October 11-20: Under the chairmanship of A. Köksal, Associate Prof. İ.Sezgin (Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of National Education), Associate Prof. C. Alkan (AÜ), Associate Prof. Y. Kuzgun (HÜ), Computer Engineer M. A. Orgun and freshman from METU P. Aydınoğlu delivered speeches. Also a TBD fair was organised with the cooperation of UFD Company for the celebrations.

1985, 25 Nov.: The first TBD Advisory Board convened at the Bulvar Palas, Ankara.

1986, April: TBD’s new location at Selanik c. 17/4 Yenişehir, Ankara started to serve as a meeting point for people interested in informatics between 13.00-20.00 in weekdays, and 14.00-18.00 on Saturdays.

1986, 23-25 Oct.: TBD 6^th National Informatics Congress convened with high participation in Ankara HU halls. Head of TBD A. Köksal highlighted that as an emerging industry, software production should be supported through tax exemption in his paper titled Software Industry and Conditions of Development in Turkey. Sözdiz produced in HU as a word processor was used.

1987 March: 24^th issue of Informatics is published; after this issue publication is ceased till the end of 1991.

1988: 7^th TBD National Informatics Congress was held in Anatolian University, Eskişehir with a notable success.

1991:  İnterpro AŞ was established with the capital brought by general directors of 26 companies in order to publish Informatics journal and organise TBD National Congresses (48% of the share belong to staff).

1992, April:  Starting with the 25th issue, Informatics had been published by İnterpro AŞ for three years with the content prepared by TBD. In January 1995, with the journal’s 58^th issue the company deterred to support Informatics which was a non-profit journal and decided to give more weight to Hardware Software and IT News that are their own periodicals. TBD decided to publish Informatics on its own every six months and then started a cooperation with IDG AŞ as of September

1995 with the 63^rd issue (7 issues).Since the 71^st issue published in September 1998 TBD has been publishing it with its own staff quarterly.

1994, 7 March: 20 years after the application, with the decision of Council of Ministers numbered 94/5420, TDB was classified as an association working for public interest.

1996, April: 25^th anniversary of TBD’s foundation was celebrated with a ball at Atakule, Ankara.

1996, 30 June: TBD moved into its first property at Meşrutiyet Sonu 48/18, Yenişehir, Ankara.

1996, Sept:     Lifelong Success Award that was first established at Informatics ’96 by TBD-TÜSİAD was given to A.Köksal. Till 2002 award was given annually (7 times) and as of 2003 it was given on behalf of TBD.

1998: TBD Istanbul Brach was reopened.

1999, 13 Feb.: TBD sold the small property on Meşrutiyet and bought a bigger one at Dr. Mediha Eldem s. Çağ Ap. 56/12, Yenişehir, and moved into it.

1999: Informatics journal organised the first TBD Science Fiction Story Competition. 6^th competition was held in 2004 and it became a TBD tradition.

2000, 25 Feb.: TBD became the Turkey representative of Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS).

2001, 15 Jan.: TBD’s journal on the Internet “e-Journal” started, which is updated every two weeks.

2001, 31 Jan.: TBD 24^th General Assembly gave A.Köksal the title of Honorary Head, and it was decided that this title wouldn’t be given to anybody else with an condition in the by-law.

2001, 28 April: 30^th anniversary of TBD’s establishment is celebrated at a glorious ball organised by Istanbul Branch at the Tarabya Hotel where 700 people sang vehemently the TBD 30^th Anniversary Song (composition/lyrics: Lütfü Dinç, Ist. Administrative Board Member) all together  görkemli biçimde kutlanıyor.

2001: Establishment of TBD Bursa Branch.

2001, Dec.: TBD moved into its current location which is a lot larger than the previous ones at 4. c. 3/11-12, Aşağı Öveçler, Ankara.

2002, Sept.: TBD 19^th National Informatics Congress is organised within Informatics Summit Activities with the cooperation of TBD, TBV, TÜBİSAD and TZK in  Istanbul.

2002, 15 Sept.: TBD signed the agreement with CEPIS to gain the authority of issuing European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).

2002, 12 Nov.: People and bodies producing software got exempt from income and corporate tax with the regulation on techno parks; thus what TBD had been suggesting in supporting the software production since 1980s became real, although it didn’t cover every province.

2003, Sept.: TBD 20^th National Informatics Congress was held in Istanbul separately from Informatics Summit Activities.

2004, 9-10 March: e-State Applications Conference and Exhibition was held in Ankara with 25 speakers in 4 panels (focusing on e-Commerce, e-Transition Turkey, Is Turkey ready to use e-signature?, )Information Management and ITCs in the Restructuring of Public Sector) and 4751 participants where Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister A. Şener, Minister of Transportation B. Yıldırım and head of TBD R. Aktepe delivered opening speeches. In the exhibition Management Information Systems of 35 organisations constituting e-state such as ministries, general directorates and public agencies that was gradually integrated in to Turkey in an online setting, issues are discussed.

TBD today is a very lively and effective voluntary environment of work with 3 branches in İstanbul, Bursa and Eskişehir, 9 representations all over Turkey from İzmir to Sivas and Van, 7.559 members, 13 work groups, 9 national activities that are recurring annually, 2 Informatics Councils (2002, 2003) organized by the Prime Ministry, cooperation with NGOs and other bodies (i.e. TÜBİSAD, TBV, etc.) at annual Informatics Summits, 4 employees (B. Yıldırım, Y. Ergun, H. Erkan, Ö. Volkan), almost 45 publications three of which are at electronic environment, web site named www.tbd.org.tr, and an online discussion forum called tbd-forum which is very democratic, heated, transparent and fun place for those who would like to know us better.

13 working groups (WG)/TBD Boards that are active at the moment are: Publication Board (Head: İ.P. Apaydın); Terminology WG (K. Kılan); Standards WG (Ü. Karakaş); ITC Managers’ Club (E. Balaban); Public-BİB Union of ITCs (A. Körnes); the Internet WG (M. Akgül); Informatics in Unions WG (N. Kuleyin); Young WG (Z. Akalın); Software WG (S. Sönmez); Health WG (O. Saka); Education WG (E. Derman); Social Activities WG (N. Öztürel); TOBB (Turkish Union of Chambers of Industry and Commerce) Informatics Sector Board (R. Aktepe).

9 annually recurring activities of TBD are as follows: Informatics journal (since 1972, 89 issues in 33 years, quarterly periodical); TBD National Informatics Congress (since 1976, 20 meetings in 28 years, annual since 1992); ITC Managers Meeting (since 1993, annual for 11 years); TBD-TÜBİSAD Lifelong Success Award (1996-2002, in 2003 TBD Award, for 8 years annual); Public-ITU and Public Platform (since 1996, annual for 8 years); Education Congress in the Light of Information Technologies (since 1998, annual for 6 years); Science Fiction Story Competition (since 1999, annual for 5 years); TBD e-Journal (since 15 Oc. 2001, twice a month for 3 yıldır, 88 issues in total); TBD e-State Conference and Exhibition (in 2003, in Istanbul only exhibition, in 2004, Ankara.).

There are very few examples of associations like TBD in the history that achieved a social service to that extend, preserved its prestige for decades without deviating from its functions stated in their by-laws since their establishment. TBD is an important model across the world which demonstrates how a team of volunteers adopting the idea of peace dominated by labor, creativity, social solidarity, individual and social self-confidence (which in fact is adherent to Atatürk’s policy) during the time of crises at the final quarter of the 20^th century in Turkey, and who trusted in science and technique can change the fate of a society.

Beyond being an occupational and public-interest organization, TBD is an organization of social transition, a factor in nationalization and national peace, presenting the value of non-governmental and voluntary organizations, in other words the participatory democracy, from social, cultural and political perspectives.

Bibliography

Electric Engineering, Special Edition on Informatics, 176-177, Chamber of Electric Engineers (EMO), August-September 1971, Ankara.

Informatics Association of Turkey News, issue: 1 – 6; April 1972 – July 1973, TBD, Ankara.

Informatics Association of Turkey Journal, issue: 7, October 1973, TBD, Ankara.

Informatics, Informatics Association of Turkey Journal, issue: 8 – 89, summer 1974 – March 2004, TBD, Ankara.

Informatics Turkey 1983 Almanac, Informatics, Informatics Association of Turkey Journal, issue: 17, May 1983, TBD, Ankara.

Aydın Köksal

Bilişim Ltd, Ankara