Before discussing the approach traditionally taken towards the mentally ill by Turkish society, let me say a few words about just who the Turks are. The first historical references to them appear in Chinese records of about 200 BC who lived in Central Asia and are believed to be the ancestors of modern-day Turks. Other Turkic tribes gradually came and settled in Anatolia, where they found a local culture that had been developing over the centuries from a mixture of peoples and societies. The Turks themselves were assimilated into this culture, while at the same time preserving much of their own cultural traditions. It is within the framework of this amalgamation of traditional Turkish with the centuries-long accumulation of culture in Anatolia that the historical development of mental health in what is called “Turkish culture” can be discussed. Anatolia (traditionally called “Asia Minor”) is home to some of mankind’s earliest settlements. It is a broad peninsula that lies between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Much of what we refer to as the “Ancient World.” Over the centuries, several urban civilizations and great empires thrived in Anatolia. From prehistoric man to one of the world’s first towns (Çatal Höyük), through the successive periods of the Hittites and Trojans, Ionians and Lydians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottoman Empire and finally, the present-day Turkish Republic,. It is through this accumulated experience that the Turks have been able to develop their own approach towards learning and living together as a community