There, he formed connections with future intellectuals and artists, including Turan Güneş, Turhan Feyzioğlu, İlhan Usmanbaş, Avni Arbaş, and Cihat Burak.
Initially aspiring to become an artist, Cansever enrolled at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts, where he chose to study architecture and worked as an assistant to Sedad Hakkı Eldem, one of Turkey’s leading architects.
In 1949, Cansever completed his groundbreaking doctoral thesis, Stylistic Analysis of Ottoman and Seljuk Column Heads, which covered 14 Anatolian cities and 111 structures.
During the 1950s, Cansever also contributed to the design of the Karatepe open-air museum, Diyarbakır Maarif College, the Middle East Technical University (METU) Campus Contest project, and the Turkish Historical Society building.
In 1958, Cansever started the design of Beyazıt Square, which marked his involvement in urban planning, zoning, and the preservation of protected areas.
Cansever earned the title of associate professor in 1960 with his thesis Problems of Modern Architecture at the Istanbul University Faculty of Letters.
In 1979, he contributed to Ankara Municipality's metropolitan planning efforts, focusing on new habitation and town centers, while also serving as a preservation adviser.
In 2007, a retrospective exhibition titled Turgut Cansever: Architect and Thinker was held in Istanbul, showcasing archival materials and his significant contributions to architecture and urban planning.