The Society for Bipolar Disorders (Turkey) 
The Bipolar Disorders Society of Turkey was established in March 2007 and officially incorporated by the ISBD as a regional chapter in June 2007.
Headquartered in Istanbul, this organization roots back to 1997 when The Mood Disorders Section was first established under the umbrella of Psychiatric Association of Turkey. The Mood Disorders Section had always been a coherent and hard working body which dedicated itself to increasing awareness on mood disorders, specifically bipolar disorders from different perspectives. For this purpose, the group conducted many study projects and published the Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorders of Psychiatric Association of Turkey as the first and pioneer publication of the Association in 2003. One of the main goals of the group was to spread “specialized mood clinics” all over the country. Over the years, eighteen of these specialized units were established in Turkey. In 2006, the group organized an international conference on mood disorders (Close Encounters of Three Seas) in conjunction with Psychiatric Association of Turkey, featuring speakers native to Turkey and the surrounding areas who now reside in other countries. In the past two years, the bipolar community of Turkish researchers have had approximately 40 research papers published in Bipolar Disorders.
Currently the chapter’s Board of Directors consists of: Simavi Vahip (President), Ayşegül Özerdem (Vice President), Kaan Kora (Treasurer), E Timuçin Oral (Secretary/Recruitment Coordinator), Omer Aydemir (Secretary/Research & Education). The chapter currently has approximately 67 members.
President: Simavi Vahip
Meeting: The Society will be instrumental in collaborating with the ISBD on the 5th Biennial Conference of the ISBD in Istanbul in 2012. For further conference information, visit: www.isbd2012.org
Website: www.bipolarturkiye.org (in Turkish only)