The Faculty of Political Science of the University of Ankara (Turkish: Ankara Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi, more simply known as "SBF") is the oldest institution of administrative sciences in Turkey. It is the successor of the "Mekteb-i Mülkiye" (Ottoman Turkish: مَكْتَبِ مُلْكِيَه), also known simply as "Mülkiye," which was originally established in Istanbul on February 12, 1859, during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz. In 1936, the institution was relocated to Ankara and later incorporated into Ankara University on April 3, 1950, under its current name.[1]
The faculty offers higher education in Social Science, Public Finance, Economics, Public Administration, Labor Economics, Business Administration, and International Relations. It is regarded as one of the most influential academic institutions in shaping Turkey's political and administrative landscape.[2]
History
Mülkiye Alumni, Class of 1910, featured in the July 8, 1910 issue of Servet-i Fünun
The Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University was originally established in Istanbul in 1859 as an autonomous college by Sultan Abdülaziz.[3] Initially named Mekteb-i Mülkiye-i Şahane (Ottoman Turkish: مَكْتَبِ مُلْكِيَه شاهانە, lit. The Imperial School of Civil Service), it operated under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1918, the school was renamed Mekteb-i Mülkiye and placed under the Ministry of Education.[4] Following the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, at the request of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the school was relocated to Ankara and renamed the School of Political Science, with the duration of study extended to four years. On March 23, 1950, the school was incorporated into Ankara University as the Faculty of Political Science.[5]
The faculty has historically been recognized as a bastion of freedom of expression and organization, providing a platform for individuals with diverse political views to express themselves in a democratic environment. This distinctive quality has set it apart from other universities in Turkey.[6][7]
Master’s and doctorate programs were introduced in the 1955–56 academic year. In 1982, the faculty underwent structural changes, expanding to include six specialized departments: International Relations, Political Science and Public Administration, Economics, Public Finance, Business Administration, and Labor Economics and Industrial Relations.[8]
Academics
A view of Mekteb-i Mülkiye at night
The Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University currently employs 172 academic staff, comprising 42 professors, 33 associate professors, 34 assistant professors, 18 research assistants with doctorates, 35 research assistants pursuing doctorate degrees, four lecturers, and six experts. Additionally, the faculty is supported by 78 administrative staff.[citation needed]
Alumni of the faculty, known as Mülkiyeliler, have a strong presence in various sectors. Many alumni hold prominent positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Public Finance, as well as in public institutions, banks, and private companies. A number of them have also served as prime ministers, ministers, deputies, ambassadors, and governors. [9]
The faculty's alumni association, Mülkiyeliler Birliği (English: Association of Mülkiye Alumni), is a non-governmental organization with branches across Turkey. It organizes courses, seminars, symposiums, and exhibitions and is actively involved in publishing magazines and books. [10]
The Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University provides a range of teaching facilities to accommodate the needs of its courses and departments. These include two amphitheaters, a 450-seat conference hall, large classrooms, seminar rooms, multipurpose rooms, and computer centers.[citation needed]
English language preparation classes have been mandatory for all departments since the 2008–2009 academic year, and additional foreign language courses are offered. Since the 1992–1993 academic year, elective language courses focusing on departmental terminology have been available.[11]
The faculty's library specializes in social sciences and holds a collection of 108,000 Turkish and foreign language books. It also includes 46,000 domestic and international periodicals, as well as newspaper collections of historical significance. The library features a 300-seat reading room, the Hande Mumcu Reading Room for periodicals, and the Ali Cankaya Room, which houses archival materials.[12]
The Faculty of Political Science has been publishing the Journal of Political Science (Turkish: SBF Dergisi) quarterly since 1943.[13]
Student life
A view of the entrance of the Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University
The Faculty of Political Science features a canteen, Coffee Mülkiye, two tea centers, and a dining hall that provides services to faculty, academic, and administrative staff.
While Ankara University hosts several student dormitories, their capacity is insufficient to accommodate all students. To address this, various private and state-run dormitories in Ankara offer additional housing options.[citation needed]
The faculty provides a range of social and sporting activities, including theater, cinema, art, music, and dance ensembles, as well as more than 30 communities of thought.[citation needed] The faculty's basketball team, Mülkiyespor, supported by its alumni, competes in the secondary league.[citation needed]
One of the most notable traditions at the Faculty of Political Science is the Cow Festival (Turkish: İnek Bayramı), a vibrant event held annually since the 1930s, just before final exams.[14] The festival's name is derived from the Turkish slang word "inek" meaning "nerd," and features a playful tradition where the top student of a class parades through the streets on a cow.[15]
The event is organized by the Festival Organization Committee (Feskom), comprising third- and fourth-year students. Faculty members, students, and alumni participate in the festival's opening ceremony, during which a humorous prayer for the year is read collectively. As part of this tradition, a "reading cow sculpture" was erected in front of the faculty in 2000 by that year's Festival Organization Committee.[citation needed]
Mülkiye March
The Mülkiye March was composed by Musa Süreyya, with lyrics written by Cemal Edhem (Yeşil), both alumni of the Class of 1921. The opening lines of the march are translated as: "We do not want another love, because it is your love in our hearts; stop weeping, beloved country, because we have arrived."[16]
Sheet music of the Mülkiye MarchMülkiye March by Musa Süreyya (Class of '21)
Başka bir aşk istemez, aşkınla çarpar kalbimiz,
Ey Vatan gözyaşların dinsin, yetiştik çünkü biz.
Gül ki sen, neş'enle gülsün ay, güneş, toprak, deniz.
Ey Vatan gözyaşların dinsin, yetiştik çünkü biz.
Bir güneştin bir zamanlar, aya kadar kaldındı dün,
Dün bir ay'dın, sislenen boşlukta yıldızsın bu gün;
Benzin uçmuş bak, ne rüya'dır, bu akşam gördügün?
Ey Vatan gözyaşlarin dinsin, yetiştik çünkü biz.
Beklesin Türkoğlu'nun azminde kuvvet bulmayan,
Sel durur, yangın söner elbette bir gün Ey Vatan
Süslenir, oynar yarin, dün ağlayıp matem tutan
Ey Vatan gözyaşlarin dinsin, yetiştik çünkü biz.
^Emre, Yunus (2014). "The role of academics in Turkey's politics: the Mülkiye Junta and the transformation of the Republican People's Party". Southeast European and Black Sea Studies. 14: 109–128. doi:10.1080/14683857.2014.882079.
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