Anatolian Clubs and activities of the Committee of Union and Progress

The declaration of the Second Constitutional Monarchy for the second time, the declaration of freedom in the expression of that period, was greeted with joy and enthusiasm by all Ottomans all over the country. The Unionists, on the other hand, believed that the problems would be solved, and the state would be saved from disintegration. However, although the Ottoman society was acquainted with this style of administration before, it did not yet have sufficient knowledge and equipment about the regime. For this reason, the expectations of the people from the Constitutional Monarchy and this administration style were different with the Society, which was effective in the declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy. This difference has imposed new duties on the Society, or the Society has responsible itself at this point. The Unionists, who saw themselves as the flag bearers of freedom, aimed to educate the society in accordance with the Constitutional regime. The Committee of Union and Progress has started to establish clubs all over Anatolia the aim of increasing the education level of the people and enlightening them. With various activities, the clubs have made an effort for the Committee of Union and Progress to take root in the society and create a base. In 1918, the Committee of Union and Progress dissolved itself in its last congress and turned into the Teceddüt Party, so while some of the clubs were undergoing this transformation, some of them were on the verge of closing. As a matter of fact, after a short time, in line with the decision taken by the Parliament on February 1, 1919, the clubs of the Committee of Union and Progress in the center and in the provinces began to be closed, and their to the goods and movable and real estate assets were confiscated.