The transportation and communication services, which were carried out by Ministries of Economy and Public Works in the early years of the Turkish Republic, were given to the Ministry of Transport which was established with the law no 3613 in the 27th of May in 1939. After the 2nd World War, the systems and activities of transportation improved to a great extent and it became hard to perform them w
ith the available legislations, so the organization and service area of the Ministry of Transport were widened with the enacted law no 4770 on 27 June 1945. In order to keep pace with the improvements in transportation and communication services, it became necessary for the organization and the other departments of the Ministry to be expanded. With another decree law numbered 211 in 8 June 1984, some clauses were changed. It is thought that General Directorate of Railways Harbors and Airports Construction (DLH), which was a part of the organization of the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, has to be under the same roof with the operating institutions of our Ministry for the detection and actualization of the investments. On 19 November 1986 with the law no 3322, DLH was integrated in the organization of the Ministry of Transport. On 17 April 1987, to make the central departments of our Ministry function according to the improved conditions, a rearrangement was made with the law no 3348 and enabled the area of activities of central departments to increase. The Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs, which was established on 10 August 1993 with the decree law no 491, was attached to the Ministry of Transport with the “Procedure about the change of Ministries of the related and affiliated Institutions” which was published in the Official Gazette no 24949 on 27 November 2002. Also, in the same date, the General Management of Coastal Safety & Salvage Administration, which was a Public Economy Enterprise, be a part of the related institutions of the Ministry of Transport. With a legislation of Higher Planning Council which was published in the Official Gazette no 26475 in 27 March 2007, its name was changed as the Directorate General of Coastal Safety. On 16 June 2004 with the law no 5189, TÜRKSAT Satellite Communication and Operation Inc. (TÜRKSAT A.S.), was established as an affiliated institution of the Ministry of Transport. On 18 May 2005, by the Main Transfer Protocol signed according to the law no 5335 between Türk Telekomünikasyon and TÜRKSAT, it was decided that all the affairs about the Cable TV systems and services will be carried out by the TÜRKSAT Satellite Communication, Cable TV and Operation Inc. By the cabinet decree with the date of 15 October 2004 and no 2004/7931, Privatization Administration went out to tender for the block privatization of the 55% of the shares of Türk Telekom. The proposals are received on 24 June 2005 and after the appraisal of them, for the sale of the 55% of the shares, it was awarded to the consortium which gave the highest proposal, $6.55M. On 14th of November in 2005, the contract of sale and transfer of shares was signed with the investor. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation, which was one of the main service units in our central organization until 18 November 2005, by the law no 5431 approved in 10 November 2005 by the TBMM and published in the Official Gazette in 18 November 2005, was reconstituted as an affiliated institution of our Ministry having its public entity and as a special budgeted administration. By this regulation, the ex*****on, coordination and audit of the civil aviation services according to the international standards has provided. By the law no 5436 published in the Official Gazette on 24 December 2005 and no 26033, the Department of Research and Planning Board was shut down as in other ministries. Also, with the same law, the Department of Strategy Development was established. Another main step to unite the public institutions under the same roof was made and with the “Procedure about the change of Ministries of the related and affiliated Institutions” which was published in the Official Gazette no 26629 on 31 August 2007, the General Directorate of Highways was included in the affiliated institutions of our Ministry.
