Mission and responsibilities
The World Turkish Cuisine Academy is an independent cultural research, documentation and publishing institution devoted to the Turkish culinary heritage.
The Academy was established on 26 August 2010 and made an institutional public announcement on 30 August 2020.
The culinary doctrine
The Academy is home to the culinary doctrine on Turkish cuisine authored by its Founding President, Chef Tolgahan Gülyiyen. WTCA’s institutional records identify it as the first culinary doctrine written specifically for Turkish cuisine. Embodied in the Turkish Cuisine Movement (TMDH), the doctrine informs the Academy’s research, documentation and publishing work.
Academic research
The Academy conducts and publishes research papers and studies on Turkish and Ottoman cuisine, contributing to a deeper understanding of culinary traditions, techniques and history. These reports are published openly for use by academic institutions, public bodies and the wider public.
Terminology and language
The Academy develops Turkish equivalents for foreign culinary terms, contributing to the standardisation and cultural accuracy of Turkish culinary literature.
Educational and public programmes
The Academy may develop educational materials, lectures, workshops and other public programmes consistent with its research and cultural mission. Each programme is described according to its scope, format, instructors, assessment method where applicable, and institutional context.
Review and appraisal of publications
The Academy reviews publications concerning Turkish cuisine and publishes reasoned scholarly assessments identifying their contributions, problems and source basis. Each assessment sets out its grounds and remains open to documented reply, correction and further evidence.
Public contribution and collaboration
The Academy classifies and archives culinary publications and works with institutions and communities to strengthen the documentation of Turkish gastronomy. Documented works are entered in the World Turkish Cuisine Institutional Heritage Inventory, WTCA’s research and documentation record for published works relevant to Turkish culinary heritage.
Commitment to the future
The Academy holds the values of Turkish culinary culture in trust rather than in ownership. The obligation is easy to state and hard to meet: leave the heritage better documented than you found it, and leave that documentation in a state a later scholar can work with.