Abstract: Social forestry entered the Turkish Forestry agenda in the mid 1980`s. Initially, there were intense conceptual discussions. Later, examples that emerged in different parts of the country were considered as social forestry. Serious and planned practices started in the early 1990`s. Initial results started to influence national forestation activities. Research in the field of social forestry proved to be insufficient. To remedy this deficiency, Departments of Forest-Public Relations and Social Forestry Research were established in the Forestry Research Institutes. In the forestry organization, training activities related to social forestry were intensified. In rural development projects, social forestry activities started to be successfully implemented. While these positive developments were rapidly taking place, the nation`s foremost forestry faculty published a report that voiced negative views on social forestry concepts. For a certain period, this report caused the social forestry concept and related activities to be nationally regarded with suspicion. Despite this, some researchers continued to show interest in the subject. In the late 1990`s agroforestry attracted attention and studies were initiated on this subject. These studies led to an analysis and description of examples of traditional national agroforestry. Furthermore, the potential of national agroforestry production was put into evidence. Nowadays the implementation of social forestry projects continues and new research on agroforestry is being initiated. Today the number of individuals doing research on social forestry and agroforestry is quite considerable. In addition, social forestry and agroforestry are being taught in forestry faculties at undergraduate as well as graduate levels. Considering that social forestry in Turkey has developed only in the last 20 years, the important achievements that have been made and that are continuing are quite formidable in view of the many obstacles that have been met.