Ataturk Culture Centre, which is founded in accordance with Article No: 134 of Turkish Republic Constitution and with Law No: 2876 on 11.08.1983, is one of the four public corporate bodies under Ataturk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History.

Article No: 134 of Constitution concerning Ataturk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History incorporated in “the Prime Ministry and supervised and supported by the President of the Republic” is as follows:

In order to investigate, introduce and  scatter Kemalist thought, principles and revolutions of Mustafa Kemal, Turkish culture, history and Turkish language scientifically, under the moral patronage of Ataturk, supervision and support of the President of the Republic and incorporated in the Office of the Prime Minister, “Ataturk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History” which is a public corporate body and consists of Ataturk Research Centre, Turkish Language Association, Turkish Historical Society and Ataturk Culture Centre, is founded. Financial benefits of Turkish Language Association and Turkish Historical Society stated in Ataturk’s will are preserved and allocated to themselves. The structure, organs, operational procedures and personnel matters of Ataturk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History along with its power over the establishments within its structure are regulated by law.

The principles that Ataturk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History and its affiliated organizations shall apply to all its services and activities within the framework of the Constitution are stated in Article No: 4 of Law No: 2876 which is accepted on 11.08.1983 and takes effect after being published in the issue No: 18138 of the Official Gazette dated on 08.1983:

	The principles that shall be applied to all services and activities of the Supreme Council and its affiliated organizations within the framework of the Constitution are as follows:
a)	Within the spirit and consciousness of the national struggle, to adhere to and possess the perseverance and resolution for Kemalism, Ataturk’s principles and revolutions, and the consciousness of the existence of Turkish Republic forever, the prosperity of people and the nation, the belief in communal felicity, to make our national culture surpass the contemporary civilization level,
b)	To act to motivate Turkish citizens to gather collectively around the national culture and ideals as a common and an indivisible unitary in times of national pride and honor, national joys and sorrows,
c)	To recognize Kemalism, Ataturk’s principles and revolutions, the values of culture, language and history in national solidarity and integrity to be as a connective power; to take invalidating all kinds of foreign and separatist movements directed at these values scientifically as a principle,
d)	To take revealing, documenting, researching and examining the values of culture, language, and history scientifically as a principle,
e)	To take the regular and extensive accumulation of all tangible and intangible values created in the society and handing them down to future generations as a principle,
f)	To act to protect and observe the requirements of national integrity and security, national moral values and national traditions,
g)	To act as a uniting element in the understanding and in the way of speaking among generations, in revealing the core beauty and the wealth of Turkish language and taking it to the level worthy of its dignity among world languages,
h)	To take our national history and national values as a uniting power while studying Turkish history and the history of Turkey and the topics related to them, and the contributions of Turks to civilization, and while spreading the results obtained and to enable the Turkish nation to possess its history as worthy of its glorious past.

 

	Objectives of Ataturk Culture Centre (Article no. 74):
a)	To research, analyze, distribute the history and development of Turkish literature, art, folklore, customs and traditions and to publish on these topics,
b)	To introduce Turkish culture in its entirety and according to the principles stated in Ataturk Culture Centre’s mission,
c)	To cooperate with societies, foundations, research centres, real and juristic persons in and abroad that study on Turkish culture and work in order to distribute and develop Turkish culture,
d)	To cooperate with civil societies and foundations working on different fields of Turkish culture, act together with private societies, and respond to their necessary demands,
e)	To make publications, to publish periodicals, to arrange congresses, lectures, meetings, demonstrations, excursions and exhibitions and similar activities and services,
f)	To work and act in order to present Turkish culture, customs and traditions in and abroad, to cooperate with advertising institutions, to make such cooperations,
g)	To accomplish other duties appointed by Supreme Committee, Supreme Council and this Law.

Ataturk Culture Centre, within the framework of these fundamental principles,organizes scholarly activities in order to research, analyze, distribute Turkish culture, which is the key to the existence of the nation, to strengthen national identity and conscience. Besides, it cooperates with, supports and honors people and foundations in and abroad that contribute to Turkish culture.

Ataturk Culture Centre is a public corporate body that investigates, publishes on, advertises on, promotes the development of and rewarding on Turkish culture, like an academy of culture, closely connected with the priorities of the State and the nation.

Turks, as the owner of one of the most distinguished cultures and civilizations of the world, live on a land that has been the cradle of many cvilizations. Scholarly and cultural institutions have great responsibilities for the protection, evaluation, presentation and handing down of this great cultural and natural heritage to future generations. With the consciousness of this responsibility, Ataturk Culture Centre cooperates with other foundations. Thus, it has published hundreds of volumes, organized many conferences and scientific meetings in and abroad. Besides, it has prepared two documentary films: Türk Dünyasında Nevruz (2. edition, Türk Dünyasýnda Tabiatın Dirilişi: İlkyaz, Nevruz ve Hıdrellez / Turkish, English, German, Russian); İnsanlığa Son Mesaj (The Last Message to Humanity / English and Turkish) which is about the Armenian Issue.

Ataturk Culture Centre publishes two periodicals: Erdem and Bilge. Erdem, which publishes scholarly articles on all branches of Turkish culture has been published since 1984, and Bilge, which reviews books has been published since 1997. Erdem is published thrice a year, and Bilge was published four times a year till 2006. Since then, it has been published twice a year. The publication of Arış (Üç Aylık Halı, Dokuma ve İşleme Sanatları Dergisi), which was first published in 1997, has been suspended after 4 issues. 

Ataturk Culture Centre, besides supporting smaller projects, carries out international, comprehensive projects itself. Türk Dünyasý Ortak Edebiyati Projesi, which consists of Türk Dünyası Edebiyatı Tarihi, Türk Dünyası Edebiyatçıları Ansiklopedisi, Türk Dünyası Fikir ve Edebiyat Metinleri Antolojisi and Edebiyat Terimleri ve Kavramları Ansiklopedik Sözlüğü was completed in 2007 and 31 volumes were published as part of this project.

Besides, competitions on novel, history of art, theatre, painting, Turkish music and communication, the prizes of which were money, plaquette and warrants, were held; those who study Turkish culture are rewarded for encouragement.

Ataturk Culture Centre, which has a library of over 60.000 volumes of books and periodicals serves researchers. It has special collections on literature, folklore, history of science, sociology, history of art, philosophy, etc. of the distinguished Senior Prof. Dr. Aydın Sayılı, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Edip Uysal, Prof. Dr. Tahir Çağatay, Prof. Dr. Saadet Çağatay, Hamit Zübeyir Koşay, Şevket Rado, Nazlı and Cemal Köprülü, etc.
Ataturk Culture Centre has two main organs: Science Committee and Executive Committee that executes the Centre’s scientific, administrative and financial activities in accordance with the decisions of the Science Committee. However, legal gaps have appeared in the establishment law due to the overruling of some clauses of Law No. 2876, which was altered with Decree Law No. 519, by the Constitutional Court’s judgment dated 25.11.1993 and numbered E.1993/51, K.1993/53 of 2876. Thus, it has not been able to form the committees and assign the members since 2002. The bill regarding alterations in the “Ataturk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History Law” in order to overcome these legal gaps has been submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly Presidency  and is waiting to be discussed in the general assembly.