The first genetic studies in Turkey began and continued in faculties outside of medical faculties: C. Coswick, A. Heilborn, Mehpare Heilborn, Sara Akdik, Atıf Şengün, Emine Bilge, Yusuf Vardar, Orhan Düzgüneş, İbrahim Demir, Şehabettin Elçi, Halis Ruhi Ekingen, Ali Nihat Bozcuk, Aykut Kence, Nermin Gözükırmızı, and others. Human genetics studies in Turkey initially started in the 1930s at the Istanbul Medical Faculty (Sadi Irmak, Perihan Çambel, Atıf Kansu, İhsan Hilmi Antar, etc.), and a book titled *Inheritance Biology* was published by Prof. Dr. Sadi Irmak. The first medical cytogenetics studies were initiated by Dr. Reimann in 1958 at the same faculty, and later, Prof. Dr. Gülten Erdoğan continued these studies from 1965 onwards. In 1972, a Medical Genetics section was established within the Internal Medicine department, and in 1982, this section became a scientific department.

More recently, the situation is as follows: In the Hacettepe Medical Faculty, established in 1963, Medical Genetics studies were initiated by Prof. Dr. Burhan Say and Prof. Dr. Kutay Tayşi, and continued by Prof. Dr. Ergül Tunçbilek and Prof. Dr. Sevim Balcı. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Altan Günalp in the Department of Molecular Biology and Prof. Dr. Muvaffak Akman in the Department of Microbiology initiated molecular studies. In 1975, a book on Medical Genetics was published by B. Say and K. Tayşi.

The first official Department of Genetics in Turkey was established in 1966 within the Ankara Medical Faculty, chaired by Prof. Dr. Bekir Sıtkı Şaylı, who was then a lecturer. Şaylı published five books and ensured that the field of medical genetics was included in the specialization regulations in 1972. Furthermore, Prof. Dr. B. S. Şaylı, along with Prof. Dr. Nurettin Başaran, who was then an assistant, continued the teaching and administration of the Department of Medical Genetics at the Diyarbakır Medical Faculty, established in 1966 but starting education in 1969, until 1977. From that year onwards, Prof. Dr. Nurettin Başaran, the first Associate Professor in Medical Genetics in Turkey, took over the responsibility. Thus, the field of medical genetics was first established as a department in 1966, recognized as a specialization field in 1972, became a field of associate professorship in 1976, and continued in this way until 1982. Additionally, prior to 1982, Medical Genetics studies were conducted by Prof. Dr. Memnune Yüksel Apak within the Pediatric Clinic of Ankara Medical Faculty. Since the developments after 1982 are well known by most, I will not dwell on them.

The Department of Medical Genetics, established by Prof. Dr. Nurettin Başaran at Anadolu University Medical Faculty (renamed as Osmangazi University Medical Faculty in 1993) in 1980, became a scientific department with the Higher Education Council (YÖK) in 1982. The textbook titled *Medical Genetics* written by Prof. Dr. N. Başaran in 1982 has reached its tenth edition.

Clinical genetics and cytogenetics studies were initiated by Prof. Dr. Asım Cenani in the Cerrahpaşa and later Edirne Medical Faculties from 1971 onwards, and a Department of Medical Genetics was also established at the Edirne Medical Faculty.

Two other faculty members dedicated to medical genetics are Prof. Dr. Oğuz Aksu, who established the Department of Medical Genetics within the Pediatric Clinic of Ege University Medical Faculty and began education, along with his assistant Prof. Dr. Cihangir Özkınay, and the late Prof. Dr. Fethi Tezok, who contributed to medical genetics through his work at Gülhane Military Medical Academy and later at Uludağ University Medical Faculty and also wrote a book.

There is a significant difference among those who worked in the field of medical genetics before the 1982 restructuring: Prof. Dr. Bekir Sıtkı Şaylı and Prof. Dr. Nurettin Başaran chose this field as their main profession, whereas the other scientists engaged in medical genetics while working in other professions (e.g., pediatrics, internal medicine, infectious diseases, physiology).

In conclusion, the field of medical genetics in Turkey was officially established for the first time in 1966 at Ankara Medical Faculty and was later developed in other medical faculties. It was included in the Specialization Regulations in 1972 and became a field of associate professorship in 1976.