The career professional group of the Directorate of Communications is communication expertise. The whole path is drawn by a regulation: the entry exam, training, the thesis and proficiency.
The Basis of the Regulation
The Communication Expertise Regulation (Official Gazette 27/11/2018-30608) gives as its basis additional Art. 41 of Civil Servants Law No. 657 and Art. 21 of Presidential Decree No. 14.
Conditions for Applying to the Entry Exam - Art. 8
| Subpara. | Condition |
|---|---|
| a | To meet the general conditions in Art. 48 of Law No. 657 |
| b | An undergraduate degree of at least four years: faculties of law, political sciences, economics and administrative sciences, business and economics; faculties of communication; faculties of engineering and undergraduate departments of mathematics and statistics; (Added: Official Gazette 25/12/2019-30989) departments of psychology, anthropology, sociology, social anthropology, folklore, and human and social sciences |
| c | To meet the other conditions stated in the exam announcement |
| ç | Not to have completed the age of 35 as at the first day of January of the year in which the entry exam is held |
Announcement and the Exam Board
The third paragraph of Art. 7 (Amended: Official Gazette 13/2/2024-32459): the announcement is published in the Official Gazette and on the website of the Directorate and of the institution to be designated by the President at least thirty days before the end of the application date.
The Exam Board (Art. 6) is composed of five persons in total under the chairmanship of the Head or of a deputy head to be assigned; four substitute members are determined by the same procedure. Board members may not serve in exams taken by themselves, by their spouses even if divorced, by their blood and affinal relatives up to the second degree or by their adopted children.
The Training Plan - Art. 16
A training plan for assistant experts is prepared by the Personnel and Training Department and approved by the Head within one month following their appointment. The plan includes:
- The giving of basic and preparatory training within the first three months
- An internship within the first six months in service units other than the one to which they were appointed, of not less than one month in total
- Knowledge of professional legislation; the development of correspondence, report writing, scientific research and examination techniques; an understanding of strategic management
The Thesis Process
The Thesis Preparation Directive gives the detail:
| Stage | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Determining the thesis subject and adviser | Within one month following the completion of two years of actual service | Directive Art. 3/e |
| Submission of the thesis project | 2 months from notification of the thesis subject and adviser | Directive Art. 7/5 |
| Submission of the thesis | Twelve months from the announcement of the thesis subject | Directive Art. 8/1 |
| The adviser's assessment report | Submission of the final version of the thesis + one month | Directive Art. 8/2 |
| The Board's suitability examination | Fifteen days | Directive Art. 9/1 |
| Notification of the defence | At least fifteen days before the date of the defence | Directive Art. 9/1 |
| The Board's decision | At most two months from the thesis reaching the Board | Regulation Art. 21/1 |
The thesis is written in Turkish, in fluent and intelligible language and in accordance with the current spelling and punctuation rules laid down by the Turkish Language Institution; it must contain the assistant expert's own views, assessments and proposals and comply with the ethics of scientific work (Directive Art. 7).
What if the Thesis Fails?
- A thesis found deficient - the deficiencies are notified in writing; an additional and final period of up to three months is granted for completing it (Art. 21/2).
- A thesis found unsuccessful - an additional and final period of up to six months from the date the new thesis subject is determined is granted for preparing a new thesis (Art. 21/3).
- Those who do not submit within the period - provided they have a valid excuse, an additional period not exceeding six months is granted once only; those who do not submit within that period either are not admitted to the proficiency exam (Directive Art. 8/4).
The Proficiency Exam - Art. 22
Acceptance of the thesis is a condition of sitting the proficiency exam. The exam is held in writing and consists of applications relating to the duties and work of the Directorate. The scope of the subjects is announced in writing at least six months before the exam.
Appointment as an Expert - Art. 23
| Subpara. | Condition |
|---|---|
| a | To have worked actually as an assistant expert for at least three years |
| b | To have been successful in the proficiency exam |
| c | To hold at least level (C) in the YDS valid on the date of the proficiency exam or obtained within at most two years from the date of the exam, or another document whose equivalence is accepted by ÖSYM and which has international validity (Amended: Official Gazette 13/2/2024-32459) |
The Method of Work
Art. 26: experts give particular importance to the best possible training of the assistant experts placed with them. Art. 27: experts and assistant experts may be made to work in groups formed under the departments; for each group the most senior expert may be assigned as coordinator on the proposal of the head of department and with the approval of the Head.
Summary
Candidates who have not completed the age of 35 and who graduated from the undergraduate departments listed may apply for the assistant communication expert entry exam. Appointment as an expert requires at least three years of actual work, an accepted thesis, at least seventy points in the proficiency exam and a document at least at level (C) in the YDS. The thesis is submitted within twelve months of the announcement of the subject.