People's Houses

Establishment and Operations of Community Centers

The People's Houses, which were officially opened on February 19, 1932, are a very important cultural institution that was established with Atatürk's directives and spread all over Turkey in a short time. The activities of the People's Houses were carried out in line with the principles in the party program of the Republican People's Party. These institutions played important roles in Turkey's social and cultural history between 1932-1951. Leading statesmen of the period, especially Atatürk, supported these institutions by personally participating in the work of the community centers from time to time, thus ensuring the participation of large masses of people in the activities held in the community centers.

First of all, Community Centers are non-formal education institutions that aim to provide the public with an education in line with the aim of reaching the level of modern civilization aimed by the new Turkey. Therefore, before moving on to the establishment, organizational structure and work of these institutions, it would be useful to briefly touch upon the historical course of public education (terbiye-i avam) thought in Turkey.

The idea of ​​public education in Turkey dates back to ancient times. For example, we can see the dervish lodges, zawiyahs and ahi organizations that emerged from the 13th century, when Anatolia was just beginning to become Turkic, as public education institutions, among other peculiarities. It is known that in the 15th century, Mehmet the Conqueror had a mosque built in his name and established a primary school next to the mosque. This school was established for the purpose of populism and charity. In addition, madrasas, which are religious and scholastic educational institutions, are popular institutions in terms of both being free of charge and advantages for feeding and dressing. Madrasahs maintained these characteristics until the second half of the 19th century. However, these institutions, which could not keep up with the developments of the age since the middle of the century, lost their former importance; New schools were opened next to the madrasahs, providing education with modern methods. However, the existing gap in education could not be eliminated and Cemiyet-i Tedrisiye-i Islamiye was established as an apprenticeship training center in 1865. Darüşşafaka-yı Islamiye, which is considered an important step in the history of public education, was opened within the body of this society in 1873. Darüşşafaka-yı Islamiye has survived until today as a home of compassion for orphaned Muslim children.

During the Second Constitutional Era, many associations dealing with public education were established. Although it is a political institution, it is known that the Committee of Union and Progress, which prioritizes the issue of education, opened free schools in many parts of Turkey under the name of Union and Progress Schools. Institutions such as the Turkish Power Society (Foundation 1913), Ottoman Power Associations (Foundation 9 April 1914), Youth Associations: Gürbüz Association and Dinç Association (Foundation 1916), which were also established under the auspices of the Union and Progress Party, carried out serious studies in the field of public education. Although it was not directly related to the Party of Union and Progress at the beginning, the Turkish Hearths, which later carried out their work in line with the world view of this party, is also an important milestone in the history of public education (Foundation: 12 March 1328 / 25 March 1912). In addition to these, the National Education and Training Society, which was founded on August 1, 1331/1915 and chaired by Süleyman Nesip Bey, is an association dealing with public education to a large extent[1]. In short, the movements towards public education in Turkey started from the 13th century, when Anatolia was just beginning to become Turkic, and continued uninterruptedly for centuries, and became more widespread and more organized during the Constitutional Period.

In the years following the proclamation of the Republic, Turkish Hearths and National Schools were mainly engaged in public education. Turkish Hearths have an important place in the field of public education with their book and magazine publishing, libraries, studies on language and literature, rural activities, field trips and sports activities[2]. The Nation Schools, which were opened on January 1, 1929, were established to teach the people to read and write with new letters, and were closed when the number of literate people reached a certain number after the new letters became widespread. Both Turkish Hearths and National Schools show that Turkish society is not alien to community centers and similar institutions.

Reasons for Opening People's Houses

There are many reasons behind the opening of Community Centers. We can group them into two groups, political and cultural:

Political Reasons

In the 10-year period from the proclamation of the Republic to the establishment of the People's Houses, there had been some political movements that endangered the integrity of the new Turkey or aimed to radically change the regime of the Republic. Dangerous attempts such as the Sheikh Said Rebellion that started in the eastern provinces (beginning: 13 February 1925 – definitively suppressed: 31 May 1925), the reactionary movement initiated by Derviş Mehmet and some of his friends in Menemen, and the martyrdom of the reserve officer teacher named Kubilay (23 December 1930). These were the main political movements that threatened the new regime and aimed to base the state on religious principles. In addition, the Free Republican Party, which was founded with the encouragement of Atatürk (Foundation: August 12, 1930, dissolution of itself on November 17, 1930) completed the organization of the country in a short time and became a political party candidate for power. The reception of the Free Republican Party with unexpected interest and the gathering of the opposition elements to the new regime under the roof of this party were watched with concern by Atatürk and other CHF executives. In other words, the CHF government may come to an end in the first election to be held; could be dragged into an adventure with no end through the new Turkey SCF. In addition to these, the Turkish Hearths, which are a cultural branch of the Republican People's Party, and occasionally carry out political activities, were in conflict with the CHF in some respects. Some of the Turkish Hearth branches and members are transferred to SCF, In some branches, working directly against the People's Party causes the CHF executives to develop an opinion against the Turkish Hearths. In fact, the CHF inspectors, who stated that the party could not establish an organization in the places where the Türk Ocağı organization was located, began to say in their reports that “if the Turkish Hearths are left on their way, there could be much worse results”[3]. Such negative developments threatening the future of the state and the party prompted Atatürk and the CHF administrators to take new and radical measures.

It is necessary to pay attention to the external political reasons of the community centers after a while after the Turkish Hearths were closed. According to Füsun Üstel, who conducted a research on the Turkish Hearths, most of the external factors in the closure of the Hearths focus on the fact that the 'Turanist' tendencies of the Hearths were perceived as a threat to its existence by the USSR, with whom we had good relations in the 1930s. Surits, who served as the USSR's Ambassador to Turkey between 1930 and 1931, warned the then Foreign Minister Tevfik Rüştü (Aras) due to the fact that the Ocaks were too interested in their own country and that there were people with expansionist aims among its members, and Arif Hikmet Koyunluoğlu, the architect of the Turkish Hearths central building. ', Azerbaijan Ambassador Ibrahim Abilof said, 'Pasha, we are friends with you. We proved this friendship in the War of Independence. Money, We provided weapons. However, there are some events that do not befit friendship in the Turkish Hearth. Conferences are held here saying that we will take Turkistan and save the Turks in Azerbaijan. This does not suit friendship, we want it to be prevented.' “[4] played an important role in the establishment of community centers.

Cultural Reasons

After the proclamation of the Republic, a number of revolutions were made in the cultural field. However, the political developments briefly mentioned above show that the reforms were not fully adopted by the people. In this respect, there was a need for a widespread organization where everyone could easily participate in the work of the people in order to make the revolution public, to deepen it and to educate the people. In 1929, the National Schools were opened as a non-formal education institution in order to teach the people to read and write with new letters. However, the desired efficiency in the pedagogical field could not be obtained from these institutions, because Community Centers, a larger and more complex institution than the National Schools, were established.

On the other hand, the Republic of Turkey was on a geography where many civilizations had developed since the early ages. There were many artifacts of historical value from ancient civilizations in Anatolia. The necessity of a systematic working organization was felt in order to protect, reveal and transfer them to future generations. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that many works of historical value in Anatolia were looted and smuggled abroad during the Ottoman period. In addition, to develop art, to protect the artist, to raise healthy and robust generations, to eliminate the cultural and economic differences between the village and the city, to save the people from superstitions and raise them with a modern mentality,

The political and cultural reasons we briefly mentioned above are generally combined in two points: The fact that the SCF, which adopted liberalism in the economy, could not find a place to live in Turkey in the 1930s, and the closure of the Turkish Hearths where people with like-mindedness were gathered, in fact, to settle in Turkey in the full sense of the principle of statism. may be requested. Thus, community centers were established as an institution that would replace and defend statism instead of liberalism, and populism instead of individualism. As a matter of fact, with the loosening of the strict statism rules since 1945 and the creation of a partially free environment, the activities of the community centers slowed down and the Turkish Hearths were reopened.

After the Armistice of Mudros signed on October 30, 1918, some of the leading members of the Union and Progress Party, such as Cemal Pasha, Enver Pasha and Talat Pasha, fled abroad. However, it is a known fact that Enver Pasha made serious attempts to come to Turkey and seize power again, both during the Armistice Period and after the proclamation of the Republic. As Suna Kili puts it, “although the defeat of the First World War greatly diminished the prestige of the Unionists and discredited them. However, the old, experienced Unionists continue their clandestine work and want to seize the management of the Anatolian National Movement and to lead the state to be re-established”[5]. It is claimed that there are about forty Unionists in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Some of the Unionists in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey were in constant contact with Enver Pasha, who was in Russia not only during the National Struggle but also in the periods after the National Struggle, and they made plans to appoint Enver Pasha as the head of the state to be established. Enver Pasha also tried every way to go to Anatolia and seize power again, and even negotiated with the new Russian administration on this issue. Enver Pasha's supporters in Anatolia also took part in various political groups, considering all possible developments. There are quite a few Unionists in political groups such as the Left-leaning People's Cluster, the Communist Party, the Halk İştirakıyyün Party and the Yeşilordu[6]. Although it is a cultural institution for the political organizations in question, We can also add the Turkish Hearths, which previously carried out activities in line with the views of the Union and Progress Party. These movements that developed around Enver Pasha and his surroundings show that even after the proclamation of the Republic, there was a serious opposition movement against Atatürk and the CHF, both from abroad and within the country. We can think that this situation prompted Atatürk and other CHF executives to take new and radical measures. Thus, the Turkish Hearths that supported or were likely to support Enver Pasha were closed, and community centers, which had an organic connection with the CHF, were opened instead. We can think that this situation prompted Atatürk and other CHF executives to take new and radical measures. Thus, the Turkish Hearths that supported or were likely to support Enver Pasha were closed, and community centers, which had an organic connection with the CHF, were opened instead. We can think that this situation prompted Atatürk and other CHF executives to take new and radical measures. Thus, the Turkish Hearths that supported or were likely to support Enver Pasha were closed, and community centers, which had an organic connection with the CHF, were opened instead.

Opening and Development of Community Centers

Due to the reasons stated above, the idea of ​​establishing a widespread organization that would include the entire population and educate the people in line with the new principles determined by the state began to emerge and take shape at the end of the 1930s. Before moving on to the establishment, organizational structure and activities of the people's houses, which were officially opened on February 19, 1932, it would be useful to briefly touch on the development of the idea of ​​opening community centers.

Turkish Hearths have an important place in the development of the idea of ​​opening Community Centers. Studies such as conferences and film screenings held in the January between 1930-1932, in a way, laid the groundwork for the idea of ​​opening community centers. The main activities carried out by the Turkish Hearths in the period 1930-1931, which we think helped to develop this idea, are as follows: Vildan Aşir (Savaşir): Folk Education and Sports (conference); Hamit Zubeyr (Kosay): Folk Education (conference); Yusuf Akçura: Foundations of German and Czech Nationalism (18 December 1930/ conference); Selim Sırrı (Tarcan): Sokol Organization (26 December 1930/conference). Towards the end of December 1930, a film about the Sokol Organization was shown to the deputies of the Sports Congress and the officers. Vildan Aşir (Savaşir) Bey Sokol Organization (12 January 1931/conference)[7]. With these works carried out in the Turkish Hearths, a certain environment was prepared for the establishment of community centers, at least in the plan of thought. This situation is clearly emphasized in the instructions of the community centers[8].

The first news we could detect in the press about the idea of ​​opening Community Centers came out on January 2, 1931, about a year before the Community Centers were opened. On January 1, 1931, Atatürk told the journalists that community centers would be established in Istanbul. In the Milliyet newspaper dated January 2, 1931, it was stated that community centers would be opened and the issue would be discussed at the CHF congress[9]. It is also known that Atatürk went on a large-scale tour of the country in February 1931, and during this trip he evaluated the public's view of the revolution. The visit to Aydın, which is included in Atatürk's travel program, is a trip that should be emphasized in terms of bringing the end of the Turkish Hearths and accelerating the establishment of the Community Centers. In the program of his Aydın trip on Tuesday, February 3, 1931, Gazi also visits the Aydın Turkish Hearth and organizes a chat meeting with the members of the Turkish Hearth. At the meeting in question, Atatürk reminded once again the duties and responsibilities of the people of the hearth against the revolution. In the answer he gave to a hearth owner who complained that they could not go to the villages and contact the people without any means, he added that the sheikh and his disciples did not think about the cost of automobiles on their way to the village, and that those who adhered to an ideal would enjoy all kinds of trouble and sacrifice for their goals[10]. In fact, Atatürk indirectly expressed that he was not very satisfied with the works of the Turkish Hearths during his Aydın trip. The fact that he gave a statement to the journalists on January 1, 1931 about the community centers and that he expressed his dissatisfaction with the work done in the Turkish Hearths during his country tour reveals that Atatürk planned to dissolve the Turkish Hearths and establish community centers in early 1931.

Anıl Çeçen, who made one of the first researches on Community Centers, draws attention to a development related to Community Centers in 1931. According to Anıl Çeçen, Vildan Aşir Savaşır, who was sent to Europe for education in the Republican period and conducted special studies on public education, examined a youth organization called Sokol, which was active in the field of public education in Czechoslovakia, and one day, towards the end of 1931, in the Turkish Hearth building. He gave information about this organization together with the public education practices in . Later, Vildan Aşir repeated the issue in a conference he gave on Ankara radio and started a discussion about whether similar institutions could be established in the country. Çeçen writes that after these discussions, Atatürk called Vildan Aşir to congratulate him on the phone and asked him to be ready for some work [11]. However, it is understood that Anıl Çeçen fell into anachronism on this issue and gave contradictory information. First of all, at the end of 1931, the Turkish Hearths had already been closed, and preparations for the opening of community centers in the Turkish Hearth buildings were started in many centers. Secondly, Vildan Aşir (1903-1985?-86) gave his lecture on the Sokol Organization in the Turkish Hearth on January 12, 1931, as we mentioned earlier. That is, the Conference is not at the end of 1931, but at the beginning. Moreover, Vildan Aşir is a successful athlete engaged in athletics in his youth. In 1925, under the auspices of Selim Sırrı Bey, not to Czechoslovakia as Chechen stated; He was sent to Sweden for physical training training. Returning to Turkey in 1928, Vildan Aşir worked as a physical education teacher at the Gazi Education Institute. While describing the establishment of the community centers in his memoirs, he confirms that he gave such a conference in the Turkish Hearth in the late 1930s and early 1931, but does not mention the Sokols and Czechoslovakia. However, to a question about whether the community centers were named after him, he replied “we did it without realizing it”[12] and states that he participated in the establishment of the community centers. However, while we accept that Vildan Aşir Savaşır played a role in the development of the idea of ​​community centers, we think that Selim Sırrı Tarcan, the patron of Vildan Aşir, Yusuf Akçura, the head of the Turkish Historical Research Institution, and Hamit Zübeyr Koşay, were more influential in shaping the idea of ​​community centers. In fact, Selim Sırrı Tarcan gave the first conference (26 December 1930) on the Sokol Organization in the Turkish Hearth, not Vildan Aşir. We also know that there was probably a movie screening on the activities of the Sokol Organization on the days when the conference was held. In other words, the establishment of community centers was not an event that happened with the examination of Vildan Aşir's Sokol organization in Czechoslovakia. In fact, Atatürk gave his statement to the newspapers that community centers would be established 10 days before Vildan Aşir's conference. In this respect, we guess that the idea of ​​establishing community centers was developed by Atatürk himself. As a matter of fact, Gazi, who embodied this idea and prepared the public opinion, Dr. He commissioned Reşit Galip to establish the organization of community centers. In other words, the establishment of community centers was not an event that happened with the examination of Vildan Aşir's Sokol organization in Czechoslovakia. In fact, Atatürk gave his statement to the newspapers that community centers would be established 10 days before Vildan Aşir's conference. In this respect, we guess that the idea of ​​establishing community centers was developed by Atatürk himself. As a matter of fact, Gazi, who embodied this idea and prepared the public opinion, Dr. He commissioned Reşit Galip to establish the organization of community centers. In other words, the establishment of community centers was not an event that happened with the examination of Vildan Aşir's Sokol organization in Czechoslovakia. In fact, Atatürk gave his statement to the newspapers that community centers would be established 10 days before Vildan Aşir's conference. In this respect, we guess that the idea of ​​establishing community centers was developed by Atatürk himself. As a matter of fact, Gazi, who embodied this idea and prepared the public opinion, Dr. He commissioned Reşit Galip to establish the organization of community centers. As a matter of fact, Gazi, who embodied this idea and prepared the public opinion, Dr. He commissioned Reşit Galip to establish the organization of community centers. As a matter of fact, Gazi, who embodied this idea and prepared the public opinion, Dr. He commissioned Reşit Galip to establish the organization of community centers.

Anıl Çeçen, after saying that Reşit Galip invited intellectuals who think about community centers to a meeting in the Turkish Hearth, gives the following information: “To this meeting; Reşit Galip, Şevket Süreyya Aydemir, Recep Peker, Ali Rana Tarhan, Hasan Cemil Çambel, Ziya Cevher Etili, Münir Hayri Egeli, Cevdet Nasuhi, İsmail Hüsrev Tokin, İshak Refet, Hamit Zübeyir Koşay, Sadi Irmak, Behçet Kemal Çağlar, Vildan Aşir War has joined. Reşit Galip, the Minister of National Education, opened the meeting with a revolutionary enthusiasm and explained the establishment of the Community Centers and the directives of Mustafa Kemal to this delegation. He said that the preparations for the Community Centers that were requested to be established would begin immediately, and that this was the duty of this committee”[13]. Based on the information given by Anıl Çeçen and the memories of Vildan Aşir, We guess that the meeting in question was held in the first months of 1931. However, in our research on the subject, we could not find any record of when this meeting was held and who attended the meeting. Çeçen states that after this meeting, the committee continued its work. Under the chairmanship of Ziya Cevher Etili, a commission consisting of Şevket Süreyya Aydemir, Sadi Irmak, Tahsin Banguoğlu, Hamit Zübeyir Koşay, Hüseyin Namık Orkun, Kerim Ömer Çağlar, Namık Katoğlu and Vildan Aşir Savaşır is tasked with preparing the charter of the community centers. The commission, which prepared a draft statute after two months of work, presents its report to Recep Peker, the general secretary of the Republican People's Party; he also takes the draft bylaws to the authorized organs of the party[14]. At the same time, Upon the need, the Turkish Hearths dissolved itself with an extraordinary congress on April 10, 1931 and transferred all its real estate to the Republican People's Party[15]. Thus, the necessary ground for the opening of community centers is prepared.

On May 10, 1931, the Third Grand Congress of the CHF convenes. It is proposed to open community centers in the congress and this proposal is unanimously accepted in the session of the congress dated 17.5.1931 without any discussion[16]. Thereupon, preparations are started by the CHF provincial centers to open a community center in various centers. After a preparation period of about nine months, the first community centers were established in Adana, Afyon, Ankara, Aydın, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Eskişehir, İstanbul, İzmir, Konya, Samsun and Van on Friday, 19 February 1932, at 15:00. It opens with grand ceremonies. At the opening in Ankara, Recep Peker made a speech emphasizing the importance of community centers, followed by the speech of Aydın Deputy Reşit Galip, who contributed the most to the establishment of the community centers. In his speech, Reşit Galip broadly explained why people's houses are needed and what should be understood from the articles in the community's instructions[17]. Afterwards, the Shepherd's play was played in the presence of the guests, the opening poem of Behçet Kemâl was read and the ceremony ended. Similar ceremonies were held in other centers on the same day and time. These ceremonies show that the community centers are a systematic movement.

People's Houses spread rapidly throughout the country immediately after its establishment. People's Houses are opened in provinces, towns, and even in villages that comply with the conditions in the regulation. Although their name was changed to “ulusevi”[18] for a while, this name was later abandoned and reverted to the name of the People's House. February 19, the first opening day of these institutions, and the first Sunday following this day, are celebrated as the People's Houses Festival across the country in the following years[19].

According to the reports on the activities of the People's Houses published by the CHP General Secretariat on the anniversary of the people's houses and other sources, we can say the following about the distribution of the community houses across the country between the years 1932-1951[20]: People's houses opened in 14 provinces in the beginning, with 20 community centers opened on 24 June 1932, they were 34 in the first year. It has risen to . This number increases to 55 in 1933, 80 in 1934, 103 in 1935, 136 in 1936, 167 in 1937, 210 in 1938 and 373 in 1939. In 1940, in the neighborhoods and villages where the community center organization could not be established, community rooms, which are a small nucleus of community centers and carry out similar activities, were opened. In 1941, it was decided to open a community center abroad for the first time[21]. The first and only community center abroad opens in London, the capital of England. Turkey's Ambassador to London Tevfik Rüştü Aras, British Foreign Minister Antony Eden, The London Community Center, whose opening ceremony was held on February 19, 1942, in the presence of British Council President Sir Malkolm Robenson and 400 distinguished guests, started its activities with six branches on the same day[22]. Thus, until 1950, when the Democratic Party came to power, the number of community centers increased to 478, one of which was abroad, and the number of public rooms to 4322. The figures in question clearly show how widespread the community centers and community rooms are throughout the country.

Organizational Structure, Branches, and Activities

According to the first Community Centers Organization, Administration and Overtime Regulations prepared by Reşit Galip and his friends, the principles in the establishment of Community Centers were determined as follows[23]:

The doors of the Community Centers are open to everyone, whether they are registered to CHF or not. However, it is necessary to be a member of the People's Party in order to be a member of the Community Center administrative committee and branch administrative committees. There is no harm in the civil servants joining the administrative committees. The decision to open Community Centers belongs to the General Administrative Committee of the Party, and the establishment, organization and arrangement of the houses belongs to the provincial administrative committees. The head of the Ankara Community Center is directly elected by the Party General Administration Committee; He communicates directly with the general secretary of the party and sends his reports here.

In order to establish a community center in a place, elements that will provide branch activities and buildings suitable for their operation, money and other material means are sought. A community center can be opened provided that at least three branches are working. People's House buildings are provided, arranged and furnished by CHP administrative committees; expenses are covered by the provincial party administrative committees. However, donations to be made for the development of branch activities are accepted by the community center administrative committee. Provincial administrative committees approve and inspect the budget prepared by the People's House at the beginning of each year. People's House halls are open to all meetings that are not against CHP principles or related to another party. In the Community Center, a place is reserved for billiards, indoor tennis and other gymnastics, drinks and games are not allowed; General representation is given at least once a month. A special place is not reserved for those who come to Community Center meetings. Only as a sign of respect for Atatürk and the state authority, a place is prepared for the president, the speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the prime minister, the governor, the district governor and the district managers and the greatest commander of the place where they are civil servants.

The Community Center administrative committee consists of one representative determined by the branch committees among themselves. The election is held every two years; Members can be re-elected. A person to be chosen from among the members of the provincial party administrative committee shall preside over the People's House administrative committee. The Community Center administrative committee sends a quarterly report to the party's general secretariat on the work of the branch. Their accounts are checked and inspected by the methods to be determined by the party administrative committee. In order to inspect the Community Centers, one of the members of the party administrative committee may be appointed, as well as party members and deputies.

Community Centers Language, History, Literature Branch, Fine Arts Branch, Representation Branch, Sports Branch, Social Aid Branch, Public Courses and Courses Branch, Library and Publications Branch, Villagers Branch, Museum and Exhibition Branch in order to ensure that citizens can find a field of study according to their tendencies. divided into 9 branches. Each branch has a registry to record the member entering the branch. Branch committees with up to 50 members elect a three-person branch committee, and those with more than 50 members elect a five-member branch committee. Committee selection is not made for branches with less than 10 members. Branches prepare their own work instructions. The duties of the People's House branches and some of the activities carried out through these branches are given below.

Language, Literature, History Branch

To organize conversations and conferences on topics that will help to increase the general knowledge of the neighborhood, to research and collect the words, terms and old national tales, proverbs, which are not used in today's writing and literature of the Turkish language, but live among the people, to examine the traditions and customs, to publish a magazine or through the magazines that are being published, It is among the duties of this branch to publish the works, to support the talented ones among the new young people and to seek the necessary remedies for their advancement.

For this purpose, many conferences on various fields of literature were given by the language and literature department, various commemorations were held, and literary talks were held. Oratory, poetry, story, play, book summary and composition competitions were organized in most of the Community Centers, and prizes such as money and books were given to the winners. Young talents were encouraged and protected by publishing the winning works in the magazines of the People's Houses. For example, a total of 49 community centers participated in the Homeland Small Stories competition, which was held in 1938-1939, and 218 stories were sent. In this competition, in which the most famous literary figures of the period were jury members, the 10 most beautiful stories were awarded with 100 liras each. Salim Şengil (Ankara Community Center), Naki Tezel (Eminönü Community Center), Kemal Bilbaşar (İzmir Community Center), Sadi Günel (Sinop Community Center), Azize Tözen (Ankara Community Center), İ. Tayla (Eskişehir Community Center), Rıdvan Kipural (Bursa Community Center), Abdurrahman Orhun (Ankara Community Center), Süleyman Kazmaz (Ankara Community Center), Emin Tuğal (Denizli Community Center) are the storytellers who won degrees in this competition[24]. Again, in a literary competition opened by Ankara People's House in 1943-1944, no works worthy of the first place were found in the field of verse poetry; was awarded first place. In this competition, Ayhan Hünalp's children's story, Sultan of the Green Valley, who is in the writer staff of Fikirler magazine, received honorable mention. Community Center language and literature committees operating in a wide area collect the works of folk poets, anonymous folk songs, tales and tales, They gave importance to classification. Some people's houses, such as the Izmir Community Center, have prepared anthologies that gather the poets of their own provinces with the idea of ​​combining the folk poets with the new young poets.

One of the most important works done by these branches is journal publishing. Since Public House journals and the values ​​appearing in these journals will be discussed in the first part of our study, this subject will not be discussed here.

People's Houses Language and Literature branches are organized as the provincial branch of the Turkish Language Investigation Society. The language committees established under these branches continued their work in accordance with the purpose of the Turkish Language Investigation Society. These committees focused their activities on researching, compiling, finding Turkish-derived words that can explain the concepts expressed by foreign root words used in the written language and publishing them as proposals, writing articles about the language and spreading the love of Turkish. In the beginning, a representative was sent by the community centers to the language congresses, which were repeated every two years, and the decisions taken were followed. In the days following his return, the delegate of the community center who participated in the congress shared his impressions of the congress to the public and the people's houses with the conferences he gave in the people's houses. Moreover, People's Houses made the people listen to the debates in language congresses live through the radios and tried to improve the language awareness of the people. Again, the slips compiled by the language committees of the People's Houses in three years (1932-1935) were examined by the Türk Dili Tetkik Cemiyeti, and 40,000 of them were found to be valid[25]. At the same time, about ten thousand folklore collections were sent to the Turkish Language Institution by the community centers. Many members of the community center traveled from village to village to collect proverbs living in the folk language, and published them in the local community center magazine and saved them from extinction. The village and street names, which are thought to be not in Turkish, have been examined and some of them have been translated into Turkish. Understanding the importance of the Surname Law enacted in 1934, the language committees of the community centers guided the public in this work, organized surname naming ceremonies, He found surnames for many citizens. One of the most important duties of these committees is to open Turkish teaching and literacy courses in some regions where the Turkish language is not known, and then to organize Turkish speaking competitions[26]. Mardin, Diyarbakir, Siirt, Adana, Mersin and Gaziantep community centers have done very important work in this field. In fact, as a result of an accident, Mardin Community Center lost three of its members on this road. The language and literature studies of the people's house, which were carried out in line with the directives of the Turkish Language Institution, taking into account the needs of the region and the country, were published through various brochures and books containing the activities of the community center, especially in the journals of the people's house. later it is the organization of Turkish speaking competitions[26]. Mardin, Diyarbakir, Siirt, Adana, Mersin and Gaziantep community centers have done very important work in this field. In fact, as a result of an accident, Mardin Community Center lost three of its members on this road. In line with the directives of the Turkish Language Institution, the language and literature studies of the community center, which were carried out considering the needs of the region and the country, were published through various brochures and books containing the activities of the community center, especially in the journals of the community center. later it is the organization of Turkish speaking competitions[26]. Mardin, Diyarbakir, Siirt, Adana, Mersin and Gaziantep community centers have done very important work in this field. In fact, as a result of an accident, Mardin Community Center lost three of its members on this road. In line with the directives of the Turkish Language Institution, the language and literature studies of the community center, which were carried out considering the needs of the region and the country, were published through various brochures and books containing the activities of the community center, especially in the journals of the community center.

Fine Arts Branch

Gathering artists and amateurs in fields such as music, painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts, protecting young talents, organizing general music evenings for the public, increasing and increasing the musical taste of the people, opening fine arts courses where possible, national anthems and songs of the people. It is among the duties of the People's House Fine Arts Branch to help the students learn, to ensure that these anthems and folk songs are sung in unison during the national holidays, to determine the harmony and style of the national dances with the notes and words of the national songs sung in the villages and tribes. This branch focused its work on painting, music, architecture, sculpture and other Turkish decorative arts. While dealing with the decor, decoration and costume works of the representations given by the representation branches, on the other hand, painting workshops, choirs, bands, concerts, folk instrument ensembles were established. With the exhibitions, activities were carried out to reflect the spirit of the Turkish Revolution, and the art taste of the people was increased and the physical need of the people was tried to be met. As with the Language and Literature Department, the most important task of this branch has been to protect and train young talents. Courses were opened in the company of professional artists and the works of the trainees and the works of amateur artists in the vicinity were announced to the public through exhibitions and competitions held in the community centers, and the public was interested in art and artists. For example, 85 paintings and 80 photographs were exhibited in the 1st Amateur Painting and Photography Exhibition opened in 1940, 75 paintings and 50 photographs were exhibited in the second exhibition with the same content held in 1941, and 98 paintings and 71 photographs were exhibited in the third exhibition in 1943[27] ]. Again, we know that the CHP regularly sent well-known painters of the country to different parts of the country between 1938-1943 and had the beauties of that region put into paintings. The paintings were exhibited in different community centers, especially in Ankara Community Center, so that love for the country and artistic taste were tried to be developed through art[28].

Representation Branch

It is among the duties of the Representation Branch to form a representation group of male and female members who have enthusiasm and talent for the art of theater, and to have the plays that will be preferred by the general administrative committee or to be offered again.

Considering the inculcation power of the theater, it was unthinkable that Kemalist Turkey would not evaluate those who have talent in such an important branch of art as representation. It is known that Behçet Kemâl's (Çağlar) Shepherd's play was played at the Ankara Community Center and received great applause at the first ceremony held in Ankara when the Community Centers were opening. In addition, before the people's houses were officially opened, the first play played in the community centers was Akın[29], which revealed the Turkish History Thesis and showed how the reform Turkey would be explained to the public. In the years following the opening of the Community Centers, the most prominent writers of the period wrote many plays with thesis describing the revolution. These plays were represented by amateur and professional artists through community centers. The representation prepared in a community center is not only limited to that region, but also to the surrounding city, towns and even villages were visited and presented to the public. One of the important duties of the representation branches of the Community Center has been to bring Turkish women to the stage and to train women artists. Initially, although there was no female artist to take part in the performances, this problem was first addressed by female teachers; Afterwards, it was eliminated by the young girls who grew up in the modern schools of the Republic and the women artists who grew up on the stages of the community centers. The principles of spreading the revolution, inculcating and encouraging modern life were sought in the selected plays. In addition to these, traditional Turkish theatrical plays such as Karagöz and Orta Play found a new life in the community center stages and were saved from extinction. Another important service of the Community Center stages was to bring theater stages to different centers of the country.

Sports Branch

This branch arouses love and interest in sports and body movements among the Turkish people, turning them into a mass movement, a national activity. It helps the development and progress of sports organizations that are part of the Turkish Association of Sporting Associations or not. It encourages the establishment of clubs in places where there are no clubs, young people joining sports clubs and growing up as real athletes. It teaches citizens home and room gymnastics, which are the foundation of modern health awareness. It organizes local gymnastics days once or twice a year, depending on location and availability. He holds big gymnastics holidays every three or four years. Organizes pedestrian or vehicle excursions.

Depending on these principles, the community centers also gave importance to sports and acted on the principle that development would be "together with the development of the body, spirit and mind". Sports were no longer the business of enthusiasts, and efforts were made to involve the entire public in sports. Through these branches, athletics and sports festivals were organized on certain days of the year, non-federated amateur sports clubs were taken under the auspices of community centers, regional leagues were formed, and gifts were given to successful clubs. Sports halls were built in some community centers, while others took over the management of a stadium, where collective sports activities were held under the control of specialized teachers. Sports activities suitable for local conditions, wrestling tournaments known as ancestral sports, various gymnastic movements, boxing, fencing, judo, basketball, volleyball, hunting, bicycle races,

Social Assistance Branch

To take care of orphaned women, children, the crippled, the poor old and the sick in the surrounding area; work in the activities of existing charities; accelerating the work of social assistance institutions such as kindergartens, student dormitories, worker treatment dormitories; taking care of the needy in prisons; taking care of poor students' clothing, food and shelter; providing treatment for patients in need of treatment; housing the poor from villages in cities and towns; Providing treatment for the sick and helping the unemployed to find a job are among the activities of this branch.

Social Assistance Branch carried out its activities in line with the aim of making the Turkish nation a cohesive mass. In the neighborhood where the Community Center is located, destitute women, children, the disabled and the elderly were identified and the necessary assistance was given to them; In cities and villages, poor patients were examined and treated; physical and dental examinations of primary school students were made; The orphaned students were determined by the teachers who were members of the community center and they were given food, clothing, books, etc. to these students. assistance has been provided. Doctors from the community center examined the patients who applied to them on behalf of the community center free of charge; Polyclinics were opened in many community centers, so that specialized doctors were able to treat poor patients. Conferences emphasizing the importance of social assistance were given and the texts of these conferences were distributed to the public in brochures. Some community centers worked as employment agencies. For example, it is known that İzmir Community Center sent skilled workers from İzmir to Nazilli Printing Factory[31].

Public Courses and Courses Branch

This branch ensures and protects the progress of all kinds of literacy and education movements; opens courses to teach literacy, teach foreign language and science, teach art and improve daily life knowledge; assists the courses opened by private institutions.

People's classrooms and courses branch opened free courses according to the needs of the region. At the beginning of these courses is the fight against ignorance. In the courses opened, Turkish literacy was taught and civics lessons were given. By extending a helping hand to the prisoners in prisons, it is possible for these prisoners to finish primary school, finish secondary school, etc. courses were opened and efforts were made to reintegrate them into society. In addition, where there is a need for vocational training, driving, motor, sewing-embroidery, interpreting, etc. courses opened. Those who completed these courses were given their diplomas in magnificent ceremonies attended by state officials, thus attracting the interest of both the state and the public.

Library and Publication Branch

It is obligatory to open a library and a reading room where each community center is located. This library is enriched by CHP publications, donations and direct purchases. The general administrative committee makes recommendations on the works that need to be purchased. The branch takes the necessary measures to increase the works that will feed the national culture and be read by all segments, and strives to increase the number of readers. This branch works to assist the party's publishing business.

As stated in the regulation, the first condition for the opening of a community center is the library. For this reason, special attention was given to libraries, a library was built in each community center, reading rooms were opened in different parts of the city and even in villages, and books were given to prisons. Libraries have been enriched with donations, books sent by the party headquarters, and books provided by the community centers themselves. An important legacy remaining from the Community Centers is the publication of the Community Centers. Some of these publications are handbooks containing daily practical information, and some are serious and hard-working scientific works.

Peasantism Branch

To work for the sanitary, civil and physical development and progress of the villagers, to strengthen the feelings of mutual love and devotion between the villagers and the citizens, to organize trips to the surrounding villages, to try to educate the villagers, to provide the examination and treatment of the sick villagers in the city health centers, to protect the families and orphans of the villagers who were disabled and martyred villagers. and facilitating their official affairs in the town are among the main duties of these branches.

During the period when the Community Centers continued their activities, more than three quarters of Turkey's population lived in villages[32][32]. For this reason, ruralism has become an area of ​​activity that should not be neglected within the activities of the Community Centers. The basic principle of the Community Centers in this regard is "to start getting to know the hometown from its original and noble element: the village"[33]. People's Houses, which continue their work based on this principle, gave importance to the sanitary, social and physical development of the village. Among them are doctors, veterinarians, teachers, engineers, etc. Community Center Villagers Committee, which was formed by people with professions, organized study trips to the surrounding villages and tried to create modern villages within the framework of new plans. Some people's houses have chosen the villages in the vicinity as “exemplary villages” and dealt with all kinds of problems of these villages. For example, Izmir Community Center took the Ornek Village of Karşıyaka as a model, He drew a modern village plan for this village and ensured that the establishment and development of the village was carried out within this plan. Nearby villages of İzmir, such as Pınarbaşı, Cumaovası, Büyük Çiğli and Şemikler, are among the villages that fall within the scope of İzmir Community Center and are visited at every opportunity. The activities of the villagers of the Community Center, such as taking care of the village's public works, cleaning, health and agriculture, opening reading rooms in the villages, informing the villagers about what is happening in the world, without expecting anything in return, are remarkable works.

Museum and Exhibition Branch

The field of activity of the museum group of this branch, which is divided into two as the Community Center museum and the exhibition group, is as follows: It enlightens the official authorities about the good preservation of the historical artifacts and monuments in the vicinity. If there is an official museum in its location, it tries to enrich them, otherwise it tries to establish them. Takes photographs of historical artifacts and inscriptions on them. It ensures the enrichment of local museums by trying to collect national culture documents such as old writings, bindings, illuminations, divans, miniatures, tiles, carpets and embroidery, as well as old national clothes and other national ethnographic documents with historical value. The Exhibition Group, on the other hand, ensures that the works of artisans in the surrounding and other parts of the country are exhibited. It introduces the works of these artists to the public by opening exhibitions.

People's House history and museum branches have tried to examine the historical artifacts and monuments in their own regions, to search and find national ethnographic documents that are about to disappear, to establish local museums, and to enrich the established ones. These committees organized historical trips and tried to improve the historical consciousness of the people. Many people's houses have established their own museums with the artifacts they collected, and the historical artifacts collected from the surrounding area are taken under protection in the state and community center museums in the city. The publications of the Community Centers on museology are among the important works of these institutions. “People's Houses were defined as the auxiliary branches of the Turkish Historical Society in Anatolia at a time when the Turkish Historical Society was established and the Turkish History thesis was being put forward. For this reason, all research and examinations were sent to the institution in the form of reports”[35][35]. As Serap Taşdemir stated, the history committees continued their work in the light of the Turkish History Thesis and published researches on history. They organized conferences to explain the Turkish History Thesis to large masses; Based on the view that works related to history and language are the basis of national existence, they created historical archives, collected historical artifacts in the region and contributed significantly to the Turkish History Thesis with the documents they sent.

Closure of Community Centers

Despite carrying out useful works throughout Turkey, the situation of the community centers, which was a typical one-party period establishment, was II. It begins to shake with the end of World War II. The establishment of the Democratic Party on January 7, 1946, led to a significant setback in the work of the community centre. Because many scientists and politicians who previously worked in the ranks of the CHP and in the community centers have moved to the Democrat Party. Although CHP administrators say that the community centers are non-political institutions, the people begin to move away from the people's houses over time, as these institutions are the venue for the meetings of the CHP and organizations close to the CHP and cannot get rid of the appearance of a subsidiary of a certain party. At the 7th Great Congress of the CHP, which was held on November 17, 1947, the issue of community centers was discussed. A commission was established under the chairmanship of Fahrettin Kerim Gökay, however, no steps were taken in this congress to make the community centers an independent institution[36][36]. On the other hand, as it is known, when the Community Centers were first opened, they started their activities in the Turkish Hearths buildings. The Turkish Hearths, which were reopened on May 10, 1949, claimed that the community centers had illegally confiscated their buildings and wanted these buildings back. In the meantime, the budgets of the people's houses were also a problem, and the appropriations, which were previously allocated from the municipal and special administration budgets without any problems, could only be obtained after great discussions in the municipal councils after 1946. When the Democratic Party came to power with an overwhelming majority on May 14, 1950, the situation of the Community Centers was completely shaken, and the Democratic Party first stopped the activities of the London Community Center on June 18, 1950, on the grounds of lack of funds. After this date, the public debate about community centers has increased even more. As a matter of fact, the “Law on the Return of People's Houses and Some People's Party Real Estates to the Treasury” submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey by the Democrat Party deputies was put to open vote on August 9, 1951, and the statement was passed with the affirmative votes of 362 out of 365 deputies in the parliament. The law entered into force by being published in the Official Gazette dated 11 August 1951. As a result of this law, since the buildings of the community centers and the properties in the buildings were officially confiscated and these were returned to the treasury, the community centers also became virtually inoperable, in other words, they were closed. Here, we should point out that the establishment of the community centers not by law but by instruction is a factor that facilitates the closure.

[1] Zafer Toprak, “II. Paramilitary Youth Organizations in the Constitutional Era”, Tanzimattan Cumhuriyete Encyclopedia of Turkey, c.2, Istanbul:1985, pp. 531-536. Also, for the National Education and Training Society and its activities, see. İsmail Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, People's House, Ankara: 1950, pp. 22-26.

[2] For more information on the activities of the Turkish Hearths, see. Füsun Üstel, Turkish Hearths (1912-1931), Istanbul:1997; Günver Güneş, İzmir Turkish Hearth Activities 1923-1931 (bylt.) Dokuz Eylül University, AİİTE, İzmir:1990, pp.34-92. Also Kenan Akyüz, “Turkish Hearths”, Belleten, nr. 196, Ankara:1986, pp.201-228.

[3] Kenan Akyüz, ibid., p. 214.

[4] Füsun Üstel, Turkish Hearths (1912-1931), pp. 360-361.

[5] Suna Clay, Ataturk Revolution, Ankara:1995, p. 91.

[6] For more information, see Suna Kili, ibid., p. 90-92. Also, for Yeşilordu and related developments, see. Kemal Ataturk, Speech, c. II, Ankara:1989, p. 41-46.

[7] For the conferences and other activities given in the Turkish Hearths during the 1930-1931 period, see. Füsun Üstel, Turkish Hearths (1912-1931). pp.390-393.

[8] CHF Community Centers Regulation, Ankara: 1932. s. 4.

[9] “People's Houses will be opened”, Milliyet, nr. 1759, 2 Kânunusâni/January 1931, in the newspaper, it was stated that Community Centers were decided to be opened by the People's Party, that these houses would be for one thousand and five hundred people, library, cinema, etc. It is stated that it will contain things that will satisfy the needs of the people.

[10] “His Holiness once again pointed out the duties and conditions of the Turkish Hearths”, Milliyet, nr.1793, 5 February 1931.

[11] Anıl Çeçen, Community Centers, Ankara:1990, pp.108-109.

[12] Hifzi Topuz, Old Friends, 5th Edition, Istanbul: 2000, p. 178.

[13] Anil Chechen, p. 110. Anıl Çeçen here refers to Reşit Galip as the “Minister of National Education of the period”. According to the information we have obtained, Reşit Galip is not the Minister of Education during the establishment of the Community Centers, but the administrative member responsible for the culture and youth organization of the People's Party; On September 19, 1932, he was appointed as the Deputy of Education. For more information about Reşit Galip, see. Hüseyin Namık Orkun, “Reşit Galip”, Ülkü, nr. 14, c. 3, April 1941, p. 88-89.

[14] Anıl Çeçen, Community Centers, p. 110-111.

[15] For developments regarding the termination of the activities of the Turkish Hearths and the transfer of their assets to CHF, see. Füsun Üstel, Turkish Hearths (1912-1931), pp. 358-384.

[16] CHF Third Grand Congress Minutes (10-18 May 1931), Istanbul: 1931, pp.241-259; CHF Regulation, Ankara: 1931, p. 16.

[17] For Reşit Galip's speech, see. Reşit Galip, “Reşit Galip Bey's speech”, Discourses, Ankara:1942, pp.75-90.

[18] “Conference in Nation House”, Anadolu, nr. 6098, Law of 24 before/December 1934; “There is a conference in the nation house today”, nr. 6102, 28 Law, once/December 1934.

[19] Arzu Öztürkmen, who considers Community Centers as semi-official cultural centers, states in her article titled “Celebrating National Holidays in Turkey: History and Memory” that the People's Houses Festival is celebrated with wide participation and in a festive atmosphere. For more information, see Arzu Öztürkmen, “Celebrating National Holidays in Turkey: History and Memory”, New Perspectives on Turkey, nr.25, Autumn 2001, p. 47-75.

[20] Community center activity reports that we can see and examine are as follows: 1-The 1933 Annual Reports Summary of Community Centers, Ankara: 1934. 2- Summary of the 1934 Annual Reports of the Community Centers, Ankara: 1935. 3- Summary of 1935 Annual Reports of Community Centers, Ankara:1936. 4-People's Houses 1932-1935, How 103 Community Centers Worked in the Past Years, bty. 5-1937 Anniversary Brochure, How Community Centers Worked Last Year, bty. 6-1939 People's Houses, Ankara: 1939. 7- 1940 Studies of People's Houses and People's Rooms, Ankara:1941. 8-The 1942 Studies of CHP Community Centers and People's Rooms, Ankara:1943. 9-CHP Community Centers and Community Rooms, Ankara: 1944. 10-CHP People's Houses and People's Rooms in 1945, Ankara:1946. 11-XV. People's Houses and People's Rooms on Anniversary, Ankara: 1947. 12-CHP XVI. People's Houses and People's Rooms on the Anniversary, Ankara:1948, 13-CHP 17. People's Houses and People's Rooms on Anniversary, Ankara:1949. 14-CHP 18th Anniversary Community Centers and People's Rooms, Ankara:1950.

[21] “London Community Centre”, People's Voice, nr. 4467, Law of 22 Evvel/December 1941.

[22] “London Community Center opened”, People's Voice, nr. 4516, February 21, 1942.

[23] CHF Community Centers Regulations, Ankara: 1932, p.5-21.

[24] For the specifications of the competition, the winning stories and the texts of the stories, see. Homeland Little Stories, Ankara: 1939.

[25] Community Centers 1932-1935, How 103 Community Centers worked in the past years, cty., p.18.

[26] “Diyarbakır Community Center opened a competition for the villagers”, Anadolu, nr. 5821, 25 Kanunusânî/January 1934.

[27] Ahmet Muhip Dranas, Community Centers Amateur Painting and Photography Exhibitions, Ankara:1941; CHP Community Centers and Community Rooms, Ankara: 1944.

[28] CHP Country Trip Painting Exhibition, Ankara:1944.

[29] Community Centers 1932-1935, how 103 Community Centers worked in the past years, bty., p.51.

[30] Nurhan Karadağ, Community Centers Theater Studies (1932-1951), Ankara:1998.

[31] “People will send people to work”, Anadolu, nr. 7459, March 17, 1938.

[32] CHP XVI. People's Houses and People's Rooms on the Anniversary, Ankara:1948, p.22.

[33] Community Centers 1932-1935, ibid., p.112.

[34] For the working areas of the People's House branches and the changes in these areas, see. CHF Community Centers Directive, Ankara:1932; CHF Community Centers Directive, Third Edition, Ankara:1934; CHP Community Centers Education, Ankara:1935; CHP Community Centers Education, Ankara:1938; CHP Community Centers Administration and Organization Regulation, Ankara: 1940.

[35] Serap Taşdemir, The Role of Community Centers in the Formation of History Consciousness in Turkey (bdt.), Dokuz Eylül University, AİİTE, İzmir:2000, p.XVI.

[36] CHP Seventh Great Congress Minutes, Ankara:1948, pp. 199-202.

Source:  http://w3.balikesir.edu.tr/~mozsari/index.html, Assoc. Dr. Mustafa Özsarı, Aegean Region Community Centers and Publication Studies.