Geopolitics is a young field of science in Turkey. Its start was given actually in 1958 with the publication of a purely informative paper by Professor Suat Bilge (Bilge, 1958). Later, in the 1960s of the past Century there appeared a report read at a scientific conference, followed by another article and a book (Ulas, 2011: 294). The authors of that period did not shape any independent approach nor otherwise affect the process of formation of the Turkish geopolitical mentality.
The Turkish geopolitical thought was shaped later on when the retired general Suat Ilhan began his academic activities. In 1967, the subject of “geopolitics” with Ilhan lecturing was first included into the curriculum of the Land Force Military Academy. As Ilhan later wrote while passing to academic work he was going to read courses on military history and political geography and military geography when he was suddenly ordered to work out an additional 60 hours course on a new subject – geopolitics, which appeared to be a difficult task since publications on geopolitical issues were too scarce in the libraries in Ankara, including the National Library.