The first ice hockey rinks in Turkey were built in the late 1980's at Ankara and Istanbul. Turkiye Buz Sporlari Federasyonu (the Turkish Ice Sports Federation), formerly known as the Turkish Skating and Skiing Union, was created in 1991 and included a hockey section. In May 1991, Turkey became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The National Team made is debut at the 1992 "C" Pool, Group 2 World Championships where they suffered a series of resounding defeats.
The Turks were not discouraged and continued to gain experience where possible. Around this time Omer Arasan became the first Turkish player to earn the reputation as a legitimate goal scoring threat.
In 1995, the Turkey's National Junior Team debuted at the "C" Pool, Group 2 of the European Junior Championship. In 1997-98, the Turkish National Team played in the "D" Pool at the World Championships and a junior team competed in the "D" Pool of the World Junior Championships.
Turkey's first domestic hockey club was Eagologlu Istanbul but Ankara Buyuksehir were the first national champions in 1992-93. By 1997, more than 300 hockey players were registered in Turkey, playing on three indoor arenas and one outdoor rink.