History
During the Ottoman State period, the first attempt at agricultural education took place in 1848 with the establishment of the Mekteb-i Ziraat-i Şahane (Imperial School of Agriculture) in Yeşilköy. However, this school was closed in its second academic year for various reasons.
A decree issued in 1867 envisaged the establishment of an agricultural school and a model farm in each provincial capital. However, no progress was made on this matter until 1884. With a regulation issued in 1884, work began on establishing the Agricultural School. During these years, the Directorate General of Agriculture was established within the Ministry of Trade. Agop Amaysan Efendi, a graduate of the Grignon Agricultural College in France, was appointed to head this Directorate.
For the construction of the school, 5984 dönüm of land in Halkalı, belonging to Rukiye Hanım, wife of Hurshid Pasha of Egypt, was purchased for 2000 gold coins. A preparatory commission was established within the Ministry of Trade for the construction of the school, and construction began. Meanwhile, 8 students were sent to France for agricultural education. When the first phase of construction was completed, the allocated funds ran out. Construction remained stalled for two years in this state. Later, during Zihni Pasha's term as Minister of Trade, a commission consisting of Nuri Bey, Director General of Agriculture, Mehmed Ali Bey, Advisor of Veterinary Science, and Agadon Efendi, Inspector of Agriculture, was established, and construction was completed.
The first students at Halkalı Agricultural School were civil veterinary students. The first 25 students admitted in 1889 attended classes together with the students of the Tıbbiye-i Mülkiye Mektebi (Imperial School of Civil Medicine) in Ahırkapı. 19 of them were transferred in 1891 to the school in Halkalı, whose construction had not yet been completed.
The official opening of the school was held on Thursday, 13 October 1892, by Celal Bey, Director General of the Agricultural Bank. At the opening ceremony, gifts were presented to Mehmed Akif and Agadon Efendi, who had passed their classes with first rank the previous year.
During this period, the school's name was Halkalı Ziraat ve Baytar Mekteb-i Alisi (Halkalı Higher School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine). Mehmed Ali Bey was appointed as the school's first Director. İstirati Efendi was appointed Deputy Director, and Zagaryan Efendi was appointed Farm Director. In addition, an Agricultural Technical Board consisting of five branches was established. Aran Efendi was appointed to chair this board. Agadon Efendi, Mashar Bey, and Vahan Bey were appointed as branch heads, with Mehmed Ali Bey also serving in this role as an additional duty.
The school produced its first graduates in 1893. These were students who had begun their preparatory classes at the Tıbbiye-i Mülkiye Mektebi and were transferred to Halkalı in 1891. The second group of these students graduated in 1894. When the school building became insufficient for agriculture and veterinary students, the Veterinary School was moved in 1894 to a rented building at Cindi Meydanı. Mehmed Ali Bey was appointed Director of this school, and Mashar Bey was appointed Director of the Agricultural School.
The Halkalı Higher School of Agriculture produced its first graduates in 1895. The students of the Orman ve Maadin Mektebi (School of Forestry and Mining), which was closed when this school opened in 1892, were also transferred to Halkalı. This situation continued until the opening of the Orman Mekteb-i Alisi (Higher School of Forestry) in 1910.
After the re-proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy in 1908, students were sent to Europe to specialize in various branches of agriculture. Upon their return from Europe, they took up positions in the branches related to their specialization at the school. Ali Rıza, Nureddin, and Süreyya Beys were among the students who had specialized in Europe.
In 1914, when World War I began, classes were suspended at Halkalı Agricultural School, as at other schools. The vast majority of teachers and students rushed to the fronts, becoming veterans, with many attaining martyrdom. In 1916, due to the wartime need in areas such as agricultural production, seed inspection, and distribution, the school was reopened. In 1922, the School Directorate was given the title of Rectorate. Ali Rıza Erten, the first Rector (1922-1924), was followed by Muhlis Erkmen (1924-1927) and Süreyya Genca (1927-1928).
During the term of the last Rector, Faik Bey, the school was closed in 1928 pursuant to the Law on the Reform of Education. In 1930, it reopened under the name Halkalı Agricultural School as a 3-year secondary-level vocational school. In 1980, the duration of education was extended to 4 years. With the approval of the Ministry of National Education, it was deemed appropriate for the school to provide landscape-focused education starting from the 2001-2002 academic year, and the school was renamed the Agricultural Production Enterprise and Landscape Vocational High School.
With the Council of Ministers Decision dated 04.07.2005 and numbered 2005/9139, the school was closed and the Halkalı Agricultural Production Enterprise Agricultural Extension and In-Service Training Center Directorate was established in its place.