General Command of Mapping (Turkey)
Encyclopedia
The General Command of Mapping ( or HGK) is the national mapping agency
of Turkey
under the Ministry of National Defense and is responsible for the official topographical mapping of the country in both hard-copy and digital forms.
, standardizing and producing and maintaining geographic materials. The HGK consists of a team of experts and two B200 Beechcraft
planes stationed at the Güvercinlik Army Air Base in Ankara
. They have the capacity for global aerial coverage are open to any proposals from international bodies in need of their services.
, Admiral Piri Reis
. A great number of maps can be found dating up to the 19th century which exemplify the historical aspect of Turkish mapping.
Since the rapid production of the maps needed urgently for national defense
required a larger and more capable organization, the Mapping Commission was arranged on October 28, 1918. The Commission was established as an independent mapping department of the Ministry of National Defense, which by that time had several branches: triangulation
, topography
, reconnaissance, cartography
, central offices
, a surveying battalion and a surveying school.
after the Turkish War of Independence
. It was settled in the Attar Basi Khan in Koyunpazari, which at the time was almost in the center of the city. The printing section also started its work in the same building, which today is the School of Arts in Ulus
. In 1924, the Department, which is still inside the General Directorate Garrison, moved to buildings located between the Military Sewing Plant and the General Directorate.
Following this relocation, maps and plans required by governmental bodies, universities, and private companies were produced in line with the changes laid down after the foundation of the new state, the Turkish Republic. After these developments, a need arose for reorganization of the department. Lieut. Gen. M. Sevki (Ölçer), now regarded as the founder of the General Command of Mapping, prepared a bill for the new organization, the General Directorate of Mapping. He sent it to the Ministry of National Defense in early 1925.
to be discussed in the Ministerial Council and presented to the Turkish Grand National Assembly
, the body with authority to pass the bill.
As a result, the Law No. 657 was enacted by the parliament on May 2, 1925. This law authorized the re-organization of the Mapping Department under a new name, the "General Directorate of Mapping" reporting to the Ministry of National Defense. The law made the National Mapping Agency responsible for the production of all kinds of maps and plans to meet the requirements of Turkish Armed Forces
and all governmental bodies, specifically ministries, universities, private companies and individuals.
for supply and usage of maps and mapping information, the General Directorate of Mapping was renamed in 1983 to the "General Command of Mapping". This change also entitled the HGK to produce maps at scales smaller than 1/5,000. The production of maps at a scale of 1/25,000, which is the base scale, is carried out according to the specifications of NATO standards STANAG
, which ensure interoperability among NATO nations.
National mapping agency
A national mapping agency is an organisation, usually publicly owned, that produces topographic maps and geographic information of a country. Some national mapping agencies also deal with cadastral matters.-List of national mapping agencies:...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
under the Ministry of National Defense and is responsible for the official topographical mapping of the country in both hard-copy and digital forms.
Function
The HGK produces and provides geographic information for defense and development purposes, in addition to planningPlanning
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
, standardizing and producing and maintaining geographic materials. The HGK consists of a team of experts and two B200 Beechcraft
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
planes stationed at the Güvercinlik Army Air Base in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. They have the capacity for global aerial coverage are open to any proposals from international bodies in need of their services.
Early history
Turkish mapping dates to the 15th century. Some of the first examples of Turkish mapping include charts drawn by Ibrahim Mursel, and a world chart painted in nine colors on a deer skin by the famous navy commander of the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, Admiral Piri Reis
Piri Reis
Piri Reis was an Turkish Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer born between 1465 and 1470 and died in 1554 or 1555....
. A great number of maps can be found dating up to the 19th century which exemplify the historical aspect of Turkish mapping.
Mapping Commission
The establishment of the "Mapping Commission" in 1895, as a unit subordinate to the Fifth Department of the Turkish General Staff, is accepted as the beginning of modern cartography in Turkey. The Mapping Commission is considered the precursor to the current office, the General Command of Mapping. The Mapping Commission performed its preliminary works in five or six rooms reserved for them on the upper floor of the old Gendarmerie Office.Since the rapid production of the maps needed urgently for national defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
required a larger and more capable organization, the Mapping Commission was arranged on October 28, 1918. The Commission was established as an independent mapping department of the Ministry of National Defense, which by that time had several branches: triangulation
Triangulation
In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly...
, topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
, reconnaissance, cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
, central offices
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
, a surveying battalion and a surveying school.
Koyunpazari
The Mapping Department moved to Ankara from IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
after the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
. It was settled in the Attar Basi Khan in Koyunpazari, which at the time was almost in the center of the city. The printing section also started its work in the same building, which today is the School of Arts in Ulus
Ulus, Ankara
Ulus is a quarter in Ankara, Turkey and is located at the center of the capital city. It was once the heart of old Ankara. The name means "nation" in Turkish....
. In 1924, the Department, which is still inside the General Directorate Garrison, moved to buildings located between the Military Sewing Plant and the General Directorate.
Following this relocation, maps and plans required by governmental bodies, universities, and private companies were produced in line with the changes laid down after the foundation of the new state, the Turkish Republic. After these developments, a need arose for reorganization of the department. Lieut. Gen. M. Sevki (Ölçer), now regarded as the founder of the General Command of Mapping, prepared a bill for the new organization, the General Directorate of Mapping. He sent it to the Ministry of National Defense in early 1925.
Legal change
According to the legal procedure, following the approval of Ministry of National Defense, the bill was passed to the Prime MinistryPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
to be discussed in the Ministerial Council and presented to the Turkish Grand National Assembly
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
, the body with authority to pass the bill.
As a result, the Law No. 657 was enacted by the parliament on May 2, 1925. This law authorized the re-organization of the Mapping Department under a new name, the "General Directorate of Mapping" reporting to the Ministry of National Defense. The law made the National Mapping Agency responsible for the production of all kinds of maps and plans to meet the requirements of Turkish Armed Forces
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. They consist of the Army, the Navy , and the Air Force...
and all governmental bodies, specifically ministries, universities, private companies and individuals.
Departments
As a result of these changes, the General Directorate of Mapping had the following departments:- AstronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and TriangulationTriangulationIn trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly... - TopographyTopographyTopography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
- Leveling
- PhotogrammetryPhotogrammetryPhotogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images. Photogrammetry is as old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century....
- GeologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
- CartographyCartographyCartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
- Mapping Battalion
- Surveying School and the Science Committee
General Command of Mapping
Law No. 657 was amended with Law No. 203 on January 2, 1961. Due to the policies created by the "Inter-Ministerial Commission for Coordinating and Planning of Mapping Affairs" and to the instructions set forth in the by-lawBylaw
By-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
for supply and usage of maps and mapping information, the General Directorate of Mapping was renamed in 1983 to the "General Command of Mapping". This change also entitled the HGK to produce maps at scales smaller than 1/5,000. The production of maps at a scale of 1/25,000, which is the base scale, is carried out according to the specifications of NATO standards STANAG
STANAG
STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which sets up processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO state ratifies a STANAG and implements it within their own...
, which ensure interoperability among NATO nations.