Oral history study with İsmail Tufan: Development of Turkey gerontology(The science of old age)

The importance of studies in the field of aging and senility has started to increase in line of increasing elderly population ratios and decreasing birth rates in the world and Turkey. The concept of gerontology was first used in 1903 by the Russian scientist Elie Metchnikoff, who received the Nobel Prize in medicine. History of gerontology in the world is divided into four periods by Wahl as Preparation Period 18th century-1918, Systematicization Period 1918-1945, Explosion Period 1945-1960 and Institutionalization Period 1961 – 1990. The development of gerontology in Turkey has 20 years of history. Department of Gerontology in Turkey, was founded by Prof. Dr. İsmail Tufan at Akdeniz University in 2006. Before the establishment of gerontology as a science, there is a history in applied field and studies. In this context, in order to address the historical process, İsmail Tufan divided gerontology history in Turkey into three periods as Incubation Period 1998 – 2005, Foundation Period 2006 – 2009 and Development Period 2010 – 2018.