The first aviation operations in our country were started in two hangars and at a small aerodrome, being the then facility, in Sefakoy near the current location of Ataturk Airport, in 1912. Turkish Civil Aviation was founded institutionally through the Turkish Aircraft Community, which was founded in 1925 in line with the quote by Ataturk "THE FUTURE IS IN THE SKIES" leading the future of the country, and which was, then, named as Turkish Aeronautical Association.

The first Civil Aviation Transportation was initiated by means of a small sized fleet covering 5 aircraft in 1933 under the name of "Turkish Air Mails". "State Airlines Operation Authority", which was founded within the organization of the Ministry of National Defense at the 10th anniversary of our Republic, were commissioned in order to establish civil airlines, and to carry out transportation in Turkey. "Civil Aviation Department", which was founded within the organization of the Ministry of Transport in 1954 in order to protect our national interests and to carry out and supervise our international relations on regular basis upon the rapid development of World Civil Aviation and the significant progress in the technology, was reorganized as "Directorate General of Civil Aviation" in 1987 in accordance with the then current conditions. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Main Service Division of the Ministry of Transport until November 18, 2005, achieved its autonomy financially through the Law Nr. 5431 on Organization and Duties of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, coming into effect on the mentioned date, and reached its current managerial structure.

Today, the aviation operations, performed in our country, are carried out in accordance with the Turkish Civil Aviation Act Nr.2920 and the Administrative and Technical Regulations issued accordingly and the Aviation Instructions.

In respect of the aviation industry, requiring high technology and having no boundaries, our country is a member to various international organizations in order to closely follow any international aviation developments, and to satisfy the necessities of the time. Our country became a party to the "Convention on International Civil Aviation- the Chicago Convention", constituting the basis of the International Civil Aviation, in 1945, and became one of the founding members of the International Civil Aviation Organization-ICAO. Also; in respect of Europe, our country, which became the member of European Civil Aviation Conference-ECAC in 1956, is the member of the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation-EUROCONTROL. Our country, which is also a member to the various regional organizations other than the above-mentioned organizations, continue to carry out the aviation operations in compliance with the national and intentional regulations.