Ali Simsek

General Directorate of Forestry

GENERAL DIRECTORATE of FORESTRY (GDF) ORMAN GENEL MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ (OGM) The first organization of forestry extends back to 1839, during rule of Ottoman Empire. The establishment of the first management planning team in 1916 and the preparation of the first management plan 1917 fall in this period. The first Forest Law was also released in the same year. The development of the forest legislation gained momentum after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The first forest decree of the Republic of Turkey enacted in 1924. The Forest Law No. 3116 enacted in 1937 made first legal definition of forest and introduced the first set of forest policies. The Forest Act had been subject to many amendments until the preparation of the new Forest Law (No 6831) in 1956. This Law has been under implementation since then, but again, with many amendments. After the experience with private national and foreign contractors of forests for management, all forests were nationalized in 1945. This year marks as one of the important benchmarks of forestry history. That year is also remembered with the broke of extensive forest fires far ahead the averages. In 1950 the nationalized forests were restituted to their former owners. The maquis also were excluded from forest regime. For long years, all forestry activities were carried out by single organization, The General Directorate of Forestry (GDF). GDF has been a "a public legal entity" as a connected unit (see part 4.4) to various ministries but generally to the Ministry of Agriculture. Then the Ministry of Forestry was founded in 1970. Some of the functions of GDF, such as aforestation, nurseries, national parks, protected areas, wild-life and game, were taken to the responsibility of the Ministry of Forestry. The Ministry was re-founded again in 1991. Finally in 2003, it has been merged with the Ministry of Environment. GDF has been kept intact and connected, this time, to the MEF.