The Institute of Forensic Sciences, established on March 28, 1983, by Law No. 2809, operates as the Ankara University Institute of Forensic Medicine. Its establishment is in accordance with Law No. 2659, which mandates postgraduate education, teaching, and research in the specified areas of forensic medicine, as well as the training of experts and academic staff in these fields. From 1983 to 1985, Prof. Dr. Adnan ÖZTÜREL served as the Director of the Institute, followed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özer KENDİ from 1985 to 1989, Prof. Dr. İbrahim TUNALI from 1989 to 1991, Prof. Dr. Bahattin KORUCU from 1991 to 2003, Prof. Dr. Halil GÜMÜŞ from 2003 to 2010, Prof. Dr. Tülin SÖYLEMEZOĞLU from 2010 to 2013, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hamit HANCI from 2013 to 2015, Prof. Dr. Aslıhan GÜRBÜZ from January 22, 2015, to February 14, 2016, and Prof. Dr. H. Sinan SÜZEN from February 15, 2016, to November 3, 2022. As of June 21, 2023, Prof. Dr. Nebile DAĞLIOĞLU has been appointed as the Director of the Institute.
The name of the Institute of Forensic Medicine was changed to the Institute of Forensic Sciences by the decision of the Council of Ministers dated October 25, 2010, and numbered 2010/1046. The Institute encompasses five main branches of study: Forensic Toxicology, Criminalistics, Forensic Biology, Forensic Genetics, and Forensic Psychology. In accordance with the decision of the Higher Education Executive Board dated May 18, 1993, and numbered 93.19.794, all postgraduate education and teaching activities are conducted within the Interdisciplinary Forensic Sciences Department under the Ankara University Health Sciences Institute. Other activities are carried out under the auspices of the Rectorate.