The Turkish National Defence University was established by the Decree Law numbered 669 and dated 31 July 2016 with the title of “Taking Precautions within the State of Emergency and Foundation of National Defence University and some other Amendments”. With the same Decree Law, the Law on War Colleges was repealed and War Colleges, Military High Schools, and NCO Preparation Schools were closed.
Prof. Erhan AFYONCU, Ph.D. was appointed as the Rector of Turkish National Defence University, with the Presidential Order numbered 2016/97 and dated 4 October 2016.
The Law Numbered 6756 with the title of “The Enactment of the Decree Law under the title of Taking Precautions within the State of Emergency and Foundation of National Defence University and some other Amendments” enacted the Decree Law Numbered 669 on 9 November 2016.
Cabinet Decree numbered 2016/9522 and dated 14 November 2016 established the academic units of the Turkish National Defence University (TNDU) as follows:
a) Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy as affiliated to the Rectorate of the TNDU,
b) Army NCO Vocational HE School, Naval Petty Officer Vocational HE School, Air NCO Vocational HE School, Band NCO Vocational HE School and School of Foreign Languages as affiliated to the Rectorate of the TNDU,
c) Joint War College, Army War College, Naval War College, Air War College, Alparslan Defence Sciences and National Security Institute, Atatürk Strategic Studies and Graduate Institute, and Fatih Institute of Military History and Studies as affiliated to the Rectorate of the TNDU.
Vice Rectors and General Secretary were appointed by the order of Ministry of National Defence dated 6 January 2017.
As of 9 January 2017, Rectorate of the TNDU has started its operations in the campus of abrogated War Colleges Command in Yenilevent/İstanbul.