THE FIRST OTTOMAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATON IN THE SERVICE OF THE OTTOMAN STATE: The Case of the Ottoman Red Crescent (Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti) by HÜSNÜ ADA Submitted to the Graduate School of Administrative and Social Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Sabancı University September 2004 i 02.09.2004 Approval of the Institute of Social Sciences ___________________________ Prof. Dr. Nakiye Boyacıgiller Director I certify that thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts ___________________________ Prof. Dr. Ahmet Alkan Dean This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. __________________________ Asst. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Akşin Somel Supervisor Examining Committee Members Name _________________________ Asst. Prof. Dr. Hülya Canbakal Name _________________________ Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Çarkoğlu ii © Hüsnü Ada 2004 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT THE FIRST OTTOMAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATON IN THE SERVICE OF THE OTTOMAN STATE: THE CASE OF THE OTTOMAN RED CRESCENT (OSMANLI HİLAL-İ AHMER CEMİYETİ) Hüsnü Ada M..A., Department of History Supervisor: Assist. Prof Selçuk Akşin Somel September 2004 This study focused mainly on the organization and structure of the Ottoman Red Crescent (Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti) under an analytical perspective. This included the history, regulation, central and provincial administration, types of activities, the Ottoman Red Crescent Delegation of Women, financial data and the personalities of the leading figures of the Ottoman Red Crescent. By this, I aimed to discuss the nature of the Ottoman Red Crescent, which might help the readers to go beyond the conception that the Ottoman Red Crescent was an extension of the state. As will be understood from the title of this study, in many ways the Ottoman Red Crescent was in the service of the Ottoman state. What becomes evident is that the Ottoman Red Crescent had a huge network of organization, and the Ottoman society internalized it. The combination conjectural factors with the successful administration led the Ottoman Red Crescent to gain a respectable place both among the Ottoman ruling elite and the Ottoman public which had the following results : the Ottoman Red Crescent as a place for the unification for the Ottoman elite with the Ottoman society, and the huge donations made by the Ottoman public. This study provided a picture depicting the Ottoman Red Crescent as a quasi-autonomous association from the state. Keywords: Hilal-i Ahmer (Kızılay), Ottoman Red Crescent, Ottoman Public Space, Civil Society, Civil Society Organization, Second Constitutional Period, iv ÖZ OSMANLI DEVLETİ’NİN HİZMETİNDEKİ İLK SİVİL TOPLUM ÖRGÜTÜ: OSMANLI HİLAL-İ AHMER CEMİYETİ Hüsnü Ada Yüksek Lisans, Tarih Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Yard. Doç. Dr. Selçuk Akşin Somel Eylül 2004 Bu tez Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti’nin organizasyonel yapısını analitik bir perspektifle ele almaktadır. Bu bağlamda Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti’nin tarihi, yönetmeliği, merkez ve taşra teşkilatı, sergilediği faaliyetler, Hanımlar Merkezi, finansal bilgileri ve önde gelen yöneticilerinin kişilikleri incelenmiştir. Bu şekilde bildik Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti’nin devletin uzantısı olduğu yaklaşımının ötesine geçilmesine imkan verecek şekilde Cemiyetin doğası üzerinde tartışmayı amaçladım. Tezin başlığından da anlaşılacağı gibi Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti bir çok açıdan Osmanlı Devleti’nin hizmetindeydi. Dahası Cemiyetin çok kapsamlı bir organizasyonu vardı ve Osmanlı toplumu tarafından özümsenmişti. Konjöktürel faktörlerin başarılı bir yönetim ile oluşturduğu birliktelik, cemiyete hem yönetici elit hem de halk nezdinde saygın bir konum sağladı. Böylece Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti hem Osmanlı yönetici eliti ile Osmanlı halkının kaynaştığı bir yer oldu hem de yüksek meblağlar tutan yardımlar toplanabildi. Bu çalışmanın sonucunda devletten yarı otonomi kazanabilmiş bir Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti resmine ulaştım. Anahtar Kelimeler: Hilal-i Ahmer (Kızılay), Osmanlı Kamusal Alanı, Sivil Toplum, Sivil Toplum Örgütü, II. Meşrutiyet v To the Memory of Hilal-i Ahmer volunteers vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Had the staffs of the libraries of Türk Tarih Kurumu and Atatürk University, it would be impossible to complete this thesis. I was also fortunate enough to receive comments from my dear friend Ahmet İzzet Bozbey. It gives me pleasure to mention Nancy Karabeyoğlu’s invaluable assistance by giving many hours to reviewing and correcting the text. I am also indebted to Professor Hülya Canbakal for she provided me with her counselling throughout the writing of the thesis. My special thanks go to Professor Selçuk Akşin Somel without whose guidance this thesis would not come into existence. Last but not the least, I am deeply grateful to my fiancee Burcu who never quit supporting me with her dearest love. vii ABBREVIATIONS: CS: Civil Society CUP: Committee of Union and Progress ICRC: International Committee of Red Cross IFRC: The International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies IRCM: International Red Cross and Crescent Movement OHAC (1330-1334): 1335-1919 Senesinde Mün'akid Hilâl-i Ahmer Meclis-i Umûmisi Heyet-i Muhteremesine Takdim Edilen 1330 - 1334 Senelerine Aid Merkez-i Umûmi Raporu, Matbaa-i Orhaniye, İstanbul 1335/1919. OHAC Salname: Osmanlı Hilâl-i Ahmer Cemiyeti Sâlnâmesi. 1329-1331 Senesi, Ahmed İhsan ve Şürekâsı Matbaacılık Osmanlı Şirketi, İstanbul, 1329/1913. OHAM: Osmanlı Hilal-i Ahmer Mecmuası (1921-1922) OL: Ottoman Lira THAC (1335-1338): Türkiye Hilâl-i Ahmer Cemiyeti Merkez-i Umûmîsi Tarafından 1339 Senesi Hilâl-i Ahmer Meclis-i Umûmîsine Takdim Edilen '1335 - 1338' Dörd Senelik Devreye Aid Rapor, Ahmed İhsan ve Şürekâsı Matbaacılık Osmanlı Şirketi, İstanbul, 1339/1923. THAM: Türkiye Hilal-i Ahmer Mecmuası (1922-1928) TKD 73 Yıl: Türkiye Kızılay Derneği, 73 Yıllık hayatı (1877-1949), Ankara, 1950 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iv ÖZ v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii ABBREVIATIONS viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ix INTRODUCTION 1 Literature Review 4 Primary Sources 10 Outline 12 CHAPTER I Historical Backgrounds of IRCM and the Ottoman Red Crescent 13 1.1 The International Red Cross and Crescent Movement 13 1.2 The Ottoman Red Crescent: A Survey on the History of the ORC 21 1.3 Background of the Founders and Early Members of the Ottoman Red Crescent 37 ix CHAPTER II The ORC Phenomenon: A Close Outlook on the Institutional Identity 46 2.1 A Brief Survey on the Ottoman Legal Text Pertaining Associations 48 2.2 The Regulation and The General Characteristics of the Ottoman Red Crescent 53 2.3 The Types and Nature of Ottoman Red Crescent Activities 60 2.4 Centers, Branches and Representative Agencies: Provincial Organization of the Ottoman Red Crescent 87 2.5 Delegation of Women at the Ottoman Red Crescent: Structure and Activities 98 2.6 Financial Data 106 2.7 The Organizational Structure of the Ottoman Red Crescent: The Leading ORC Figures 113 CHAPTER III Exploring the Ottoman Red Crescent Phenomenon 127 3.1 The Nature of The Ottoman Red Crescent 127 3.2 The Ottoman Red Crescent Mission 137 3.3 How the Ottoman Public Perceived the Ottoman Red Crescent 142 CONCLUDING REMARKS 146 APPENDICES 150 BIBLIOGRAPHY 169 x INTRODUCTION The earliest International Organization, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was founded by the Geneva Convention on 22 August 1864.1 According to the Convention, neutral health committees would be formed in order to treat the wounded during the wars. The Ottoman government ratified the Convention on 5 July 1865. A civil organization should have been established in order to achieve neutrality. Initially, the Ottoman military establishment as well as the some European counterparts rejected this requirement. However, the 1877-1878 Russo-Ottoman War proved that it became necessary to found such a society in order to achieve assistance from other Red Crosses. As a pragmatic outcome, the Ottoman Red Crescent was founded in 1877, which was interpreted by the president of the International Committee of Red Cross, Gustave Moynier, as a turning point in history and an integration of the Islamic world into an institution shaped by the Christian world for the first time.2 The Ottoman Red Crescent became the pioneer of the other Red Crescents such as the Indian, Egyptian and Afghanistan Red Crescents. However, after the war the society was dissolved and could only be reestablished on 20 April 1911. The period of 1911-1923 is a crucially important era both for the Ottoman Red Crescent and the Turkish History. A period of continuing wars starting with the War of Tripoli and lasting until with the Lausanne Peace Treaty witnessed the collapse of an old Empire and birth of a young Republic. During these years, the Ottoman Red Crescent worked in close collaboration with the Ottoman military establishment. In addition to opening hospitals to the wounded, it also handled the complicated case of the prisoners of war. 1 The Geneva Convention was also the earliest document of International Law and it is considered as the beginning of the codification of the International Law. 2 Coursier, Henri, Milletlerarası Kızılhaç, Türkiye Kızılay Derneği, Ankara, 1964, p.20. 1 Besides these fundamental tasks, the Ottoman Red Crescent had also performed a variety of activities such as significant assistances to the refugees, realizing relief operations, opening soup-houses and tea-houses both for the wounded and the poor, assisting the Turkish students in Europe, establishing accommodation for the citizens harmed by the invasions, and providing cheap groceries for the Istanbul population. Moreover, during the years of the War of Independence, the Ottoman Red Crescent also functioned as a diplomatic channel between the Entente powers and the National government in Ankara. Especially after 1915 and onwards, the Ottoman Red Crescent spread its organization in the provinces. As a consequence of its charity nature and an increasing respect after successful activities, the Ottoman public seemed to internalize the Ottoman Red Crescent.