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Past and Present of Turkish Army Aviation

Date: Issue 129 - May 2024 Update: October 13, 2024

The foundation of Turkish Army Aviation dates back to June 01, 1911, with the establishment of the "Tayyare Komisyonu" (Aviation Commission) within the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces and accelerated its development with the establishment of an "Air Group" under the Artillery branch named "Topçu Tayyareciliği" (Artillery Aviation) in Polatlı in 1948 by the Land Forces Command. In 1957, was renamed the "Kara Ordusu Havacılık Okulu" (Land Army Aviation School), the Army Aviation Branch was established in 1986, and The Army Aviation School, promoted to the Division level through a cadre change on June 11, 1997, was reorganized as the Army Aviation School and Training Center Command. 

On August 15, 2003, the "Army Aviation School and Training Center Command" was reorganized under the name of the "Army Aviation Command" and directly attached to the Turkish Land Forces Command. In this context, the Army Aviation Regiments, which had previously operated under different Army Commands (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Aegean Army), were gathered under a separate aviation command. During this new restructuring, the "Army Aviation School Command," which was previously attached to the "Turkish Army Training and Doctrine Command (EDOK)," was also transferred to the Army Aviation Command in 2014. Since that day, all army aviation elements within the Turkish Land Forces Command have been conducting their training and operational activities under a single roof.