Book and Library Services of the Turkish (Ottoman) Red Crescent Society for War Prisoners (1912-1922)

Abstract

The Red Crescent Association (Mecrûhîn ve Marzâ-yi Askeriyeye İmdad ve Muâvenet Cemiyeti)2 was founded by Dr. Abdullah Bey ve Ömer Paşa on June 11, 1868. However, it was not very efficient in the SerbiaMontenegro War (the Herzegovina Rebellion, 1875-1877), the 93 War (the Ottoman-Russian War, 1877-1878) and Thessalia War (the Ottoman-Greek War, 1897) The Red Crescent Association (HAC) started its activities in the proper sense in Tripoli (1911-1912) and 1st and 2nd Balkan Wars. In these periods, it undertook important missions such as health services, Food and housing for both soldiers and the general public. OHAC have been making humanitarian aid for soldiers and civilians in wars, natural disasters and diseases with the Red Cross, which was founded in 1863. In this respect, it is one of the oldest social relief associations in the world. In the social relief context, not only the soldiers and the civil public affected by the disasters, but also the captured soldiers in the wars were taken care of. The prisoners of war have also had the right of taking use of this kind of aids. This studu wil examine the activities of OHAC in providing books and educational publications to the wounded, sick and war prisoner soldiers. The study also examines the OHAC activities of book campaigns for the basic education during the Balkan Wars, the 1st World War and the Independence War. Through the records from the archives of the Turkish Red Crescent Association (TKDA).