Public administration is the planning, implementation and oversight of public policies to meet public needs. This definition of public administration presents us with a discipline comprising both practice and theory. In Turkey, a multi-party political system the most important indicator of Western-style democracy could not be established immediately. The struggles in this direction only bore fruit in the 1946 elections, and the transition to a multi-party system was realised. However, the multi-party system, a significant turning point in Turkish history, has also produced negative consequences over time. One such consequence is that the increased influence of large landowners and commercial capital over political administration has led to a relative loss of income for the bureaucracy. The civil and military bureaucracy, having suffered this loss of revenue, advocated a shift to a planned economy. The planning of development is a central decision that defines the state’s roles in social and economic life, the duties and responsibilities of public institutions during this process, and the position of private enterprises within the plans. The era of planned development in Turkey took place approximately between 1963 and 1980. During this process, which began with the transition to a multi party system in Turkey, public administration was reshaped around the axes of democratisation, economic development and centralisation. A concept of planned development was adopted under the leadership of the State Planning Organisation. The bureaucracy played an active role in the implementation of economic and social policies. Whilst the state’s interventionist structure strengthened in the post 1960 period, the bureaucratic structure was directly affected by political changes, and a modern understanding of public administration developed. This study analyses the transition to a multi party system and the era of planned development two milestones widely recognised in Turkish political life and, naturally, in Turkish public administration based on the relevant literature. These two turning points share the dual characteristic of being both a continuation of and an antithesis to one another. From this perspective, the study is considered significant and is expected to contribute to the field.