In 1914, he was appointed professor of the history of Turks and Islamic tribes at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University.

The same year began to publish articles in the journal, İslam Mecmuası, which was sponsored by the Committee of Union and Progress.

During the Turkish War of Independence, Günaltay joined the "Association of Defense of the Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia".

After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, he entered Turkish Grand National Assembly as deputy of Sivas Province from the Republican People's Party (Turkish: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP), serving for 27 years until 1950.

After Prime Minister Hasan Saka's resignation, Günaltay was appointed by President İsmet İnönü to form his cabinet on 16 January 1949 that lasted until Adnan Menderes's Democratic Party took over the government on 22 May 1950, following the general elections.