The Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) is a national organization which has been established in 1992 by the physicians specialized in respiratory medicine and physicians working in other subspeciality fields of respiratory health. The main aims of TTS are to educate its members and other health workers, to improve the clinical practice, to encourage and support the scientific research and to improve the lung health.

The Turkish Thoracic Society has founded 10 branches in various geographic regions in Turkey, has formed 14 scientific working groups on various fields of respiratory medicine. The society, with approximately 1500 members, is the biggest speciality organization in respiratory medicine in Turkey. Of the members, 73% are respiratory disease specialists, 13.9% thoracic surgeons, 9.4% physicians in other speciality groups (pediatrists, public health specialists, internal medicine specialists, pathologists, radiologists, pathophysiologists, and physical therapists). The Turkish Thoracic Society has organized 5 annual congresses and many postgraduate courses and scientific meetings at each branch in the last 9 years.

Scientific working groups of TTS have prepared diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines on asthma, pneumonia and COPD, and they have presented these guidelines to the members and other physicians all through the country. National control programs have been prepared in different fields of respiratory medicine by these groups in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

The Turkish Thoracic Society has 4 official publications, published regularly. These are: “Thorax Bulletin”, “Thorax Journal”, “Turkish Respiratory Journal”, and “Thorax Books Series”.