Red Crescent Society in Kayseri (1914-1925)

The Red Crescent Society, which emerged with purely human feelings, was established with the suggestion of Henry Durant. The European states that signed the Geneva Convention quickly began to organize in their own countries. Ottoman State joined the organization by signing this contract with the efforts of Dr. Abdullah Bey. This association, which suffered from some setbacks from time to time, completed its establishment only with the declaration of constitutionalism. Thus, the existence of this society gave strength to the Ottoman Empire during the Tripoli War, the Balkan Wars, the World War I. and the National Struggle. One of the most important branches of the society, which increased the number of branches during these wars, was the Kayseri branch. April-May 1915, Kayseri Red Crescent Society was founded and established in the first. It was quickly put into service to ease the burden of World War I. As a first job, the branch that collects assistance from the elders of the city and sells the items it wants from the The Ottoman Red Crescent Center has had to undertake a different mission over time. Kayseri Military Hospital, Talas Healing House and Zincidere Convalescence /Healing House, which were opened to alleviate the sanitary burden of World War I, continued their work under the supervision of Kayseri branch. Apart from these hospitals, one of the important duties assigned to the Kayseri branch was to keep the prisoners of war under surveillance. French and Greek prisoners of war were kept under surveillance in prisoner garrisons opened for this purpose. These garrisons were frequently inspected by the European states and appreciated by the delegations who left satisfied with the sights they saw. The main source of our work is the Red Crescent Archive. In addition to the Red Crescent Archive, The Ottoman Red Crescent Society Magazines, the reports of the Ottoman Red Crescent Society, the Presidential Ottoman Archive and second-hand sources were used.