ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈoːɹ, wɪððə səpˈoːɹt ʌv sˈɪnən tˈɑːɹɹə, vˈaɪstʃˈɛɹmən ʌv ɛŋkˈæ ɪnʃˈɑːt vˈiː sˈæneɪi ˈeɪ.ˌɛssədˈɪlɐ., ɛŋkˈɜːɹɪdʒd baɪ ˈæktɪvˌɪst ænd bˈɪznəsmən ˈɪbɹæhɪm bᵻtˈɪl, ðə skˈuːl wʌz fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks ɪnðə kˈʌltʃɚɹəl kˈæpɪɾəl ʌvðə kˈʌntɹi æz ɐ pɹˈaɪvət nˌɑːnpɹˈɑːfɪt sˈɛntɚɹ ʌv ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃənəl ˈɛksələns tə pɹəvˈaɪd ɐn ˌɪnspɚɹˈeɪʃənəl mˈɑːdəl fɔːɹ skˈuːlz bˈoʊθ wɪðˌɪn tˈɜːki ænd θɹuːˈaʊt ðɪ ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃənəl kəmjˈuːnᵻɾi.
In 1994, with the support of Sinan Tara, Vice-Chairman of Enka İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş., encouraged by activist and businessman Ibrahim Betil, the school was founded in 1996 in the cultural capital of the country as a private nonprofit center of educational excellence to provide an inspirational model for schools both within Turkey and throughout the international educational community.