Although Thoracic Surgery has been officially recognized as a separate specialty in Türkiye, there was no dedicated thoracic surgery association until the late 1990s. As the need for a specialized organization grew, the foundation process of the primary thoracic surgery society began in 1997.
In 1998, the society was officially established under the name Thoracic Surgery Society, with its headquarters in Ankara. After the election of its first Board of Directors, the society became operational. It was later renamed the Turkish Society of Thoracic Surgery (TSTS).

Initially, the Board consisted of 7 members. This number was increased to 9 to ensure equal representation of thoracic surgeons from Ankara, Istanbul, and other provinces (3 members from each region).