GEOLOGY ENGINEERS, who have completed their education in different universities since the 1960`s and have been working in both public and private sector institutions and organizations, first started to be organized under the TMMOB-Chamber of Mining Engineers.

By virtue of the need for a professional organization that has the title of GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER and authorized to make applications for the GEOLOGY profession as a result of quantitative and qualitative developments in the profession, TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineers was established on May 18, 1974 as the only legal professional organization of GEOLOGY ENGINEERS.

The beginning of the founding efforts of the Chamber of Geological Engineers goes back to 1973. The first meeting in June 1973 in the Geological Society of Turkey headed by Selcuk Bayraktar from the library hall call was conducted with 33 people who came by following the meeting call. In the aforementioned meeting, an Enterprising Committee of totally 15 people, including 2 from each university and 3 from those who graduated from universities abroad, was appointed to carry out the efforts for the Establishment. Enterprising Committee`s works was conducted under the presidency of Mr. Selcuk Bayraktar, who was Secretary General of Geology Society of Turkey (TJK) at that time.

FOUNDING DELEGATION:

Selçuk Bayraktar President (TJK Secretary General)

Members:

1. Prof. Dr. Ekrem Göksu (Overseas graduate)
2. Assoc. Dr. Gürol Ataman (Overseas graduate)
3. Assoc. Dr. Süleyman Türkünal (Overseas graduate)
4. Reşat Boğaz (İTÜ)
5. Turgut Öztaş (İTÜ)
6. İsmail Özkaya (METU)
7. M. Tuna Tekeli (METU)
8. Aycan Topcuoğlu (KTÜ)
9. İsmet Özgenç (Karadeniz Technical University)
10. Kaler Sümerman (İstanbul University Faculty of Science)
11. Orhan Dursunoğlu (İstanbul University Faculty of Science)
12. Muzaffer Evirgen (Hacettepe University)
13. Gürkan Yersel (Hacettepe University)
14. Güven Özhan (Anadolu University Faculty of Science)
15. Yüksel Demirok (Anadolu University Faculty of Science)

Establishment studies started with the examination of TMMOB laws and regulations and continued in this direction. The Enterprising Delegation firstly held a joint meeting with the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Mining Engineers where Geological Engineers have been registered for 20 years pursuant to article 17 of the law numbered 6235 and reached a consensus on the establishment of the Chamber of Geological Engineers. As a result of the investigations, it was understood that there were 230 Geological Engineers registered in the Chamber of Mining Engineers at that time.

At the last stage of the foundation works, a request petition was collected from Geological Engineers and applied to the Chamber of Mining Engineers with 161 petitions on January 31, 1974; the same application was submitted to the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Board of Directors to be included in the agenda of the Union General Assembly to be held on 19.2.1974.

At the 20th General Assembly of the Chamber of Mining Engineers, the issue was discussed in the item 9 of the agenda and a wishful decision was taken for the establishment of our Chamber. "… Murat TURAN, on behalf of the Chamber of Engineers and Architects (MMO) Board of Directors at the General Assembly, argued that the application is appropriate and normal in accordance with the laws and regulations and that the decision should be taken at the TMMOB General Assembly, not at our Chamber. Speaking on behalf of the applicants, İsmet ÖZGENÇ (Karadeniz Technical University), geology engineer msc., stated that geology is a separate branch of science and that they believe they will better defend their democratic rights and freedoms in an independent body. After other speeches delivered, it was stated that the former Board of Directors took the necessary actions and the decision would belong to the General Assembly of TMMOB."

The TMMOB Board of Directors also examined our application and welcomed the establishment request of the Chamber and stated in their decision, numbered 163, that a conclusion should be reached in the 19th Union General Assembly.

“Decision No 163- Taking into account the petitions of 161 out of 230 of Geological Engineers who are currently member to the Chamber of Mining Engineers to establish Chamber of Geological Engineers and the petitions of Geological Engineer Süleyman Türkünal on behalf of the Enterprise Delegation dated 21/2/1974 and the wishes of General Assembly for establishment of these chambers during the 20th General Assembly as set forth in the letter dated 10/4/1974 and numbered (DN-900) 282 on the Chamber of Mining Engineers, it has been decided that the proposal to establish "Chamber of Geological Engineers" is presented to the General Assembly and the enterprise delegation prepares the draft of Chamber Regulation to be approved at the General Assembly and that this issue is announced to the relevant persons and institutions.

In the study report presented at the 19th General Assembly of TMMOB, which gathered in the DSI Conference Hall in Ankara on 17-18 May 1974; the issue of establishing the Chamber of Geological Engineers took place as follows:
“Geological Engineers, most of whom are under our Chamber of Mining Engineers, have attempted to establish a Chamber of Geological Engineers. 161 Geological Engineers applied to TMMOB in writing. On behalf of the enterprising delegation, Geological Engineer Süleyman Türkünal asked the Union to take the necessary action on this issue with a petition filed on 21.02.1974. With the letter dated 10.04.1974 and numbered (DN-900) 282 from the Chamber of Mining Engineers, it has been understood that this issue was discussed at the 20th General Assembly of the Chamber of Mining Engineers, the former Executive Board carried out the necessary actions, the decision could be taken by the General Assembly of TMMOB and a wishful decision was taken in order for the Geological Engineers to establish a separate chamber.
The Provisional Board of Directors appointed by the Enterprising Committee carried out the necessary work and sent the draft regulation they prepared to TMMOB. Discussing the issue, TMMOB Board of Directors welcomed the request to establish a Chamber of Geological Engineers with its decision numbered 163. 19th General Assembly should reach a decision by examining this request and the draft regulation prepared."
The issue was examined in a commission formed in the General Assembly of the Union on 18 May 1974 and presented to the General Assembly with a positive report. The presentation of the commission report was followed by a speech by Mr. Murat TURAN, the Secretary of the Chamber of Mining Engineers at that time, demanding and supporting the establishment of the Chamber of Geological Engineers. Our request submitted to the vote was accepted unanimously and is affiliated to TMMOB 17. THE CHAMBER OF GEOLOGY ENGINEERS was established.
At the meeting held on 19.05.1974, representative bodies of the Chamber of Geological Engineers were formed and the distribution of tasks was realized. Temporary work of the Board of Directors continued their works until July 1974 in Turkey Geological Institute building. The work after this date continued in the rooms of the Chamber of Mining Engineers and the Chamber of Architects for a while and then moved to a two-room flat on Selanik Street.

MEMBERS WHO ASSUME DUTY IN THE CHAMBER OF GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERS DURING THE ESTABLISHMENT PERIOD

Executive Board

President: Süleyman TÜRKÜNAL
2. President: İsmet ÖZGENÇ
Clerk Member: Kaler SÜMERMAN
Clerk Member: M. Tuna TEKELİ
Member: Reşat BOĞAZ
Member: Gürkan YERSEL
Member: Ünal SÜNDAL

Consultant to Executive Board: Selçuk BAYRAKTAR

Supervisory Board
İsmail ÖZKAYA
Ayhan ERLER
Tardu TÜMER

TMMOB Board of Directors Observer Members

İsmet ÖZGENÇ (Permanent)
Ünal SÜNDAL (Substitute)
Kaler SÜMERMAN (Substitute)
Technical Issues Board
Selçuk BAYRAKTAR (President)
Günay TUZCU
Yüksel ÖNEM
Ahmet KAYA
Abdurrahman EREN
Reşat BOĞAZ
Erdal BULUTLAR
Mahmut ARMAN
Dursun BAŞANOĞLU

Our chamber announced its establishment to the public with a declaration, emphasizing the following principles;

• Contributing to the utilization of our underground and aboveground natural resources in line with the interests of our country,
• To carry out efforts on the activation of the profession in mining geology, petroleum geology, groundwater geology, marine geology, geotechnical engineering, environmental geology, urbanization, drilling, basic geology services and various engineering applications, determining and developing the members` powers and responsibilities,
• To contribute to the development of geological engineering education, to undertake the task of ensuring unity in the first four years of basic geological engineering education, to organize technical congresses, seminars, symposiums, conferences, exhibitions related to the development and promotion of the profession,
• To make honesty and trust prevail in the relations of the members with each other and with the society,
• To protect professional discipline and morality,
• To take part in the struggle for democracy in the country.

As a result of the first organizational studies of our chamber, 411 of 497 Geological Engineers in our country have been registered as of 31.1.1975