Arbor days from Ottomans to Republic of Turkey

Arbor festivals are one of the activities that are widely celebrated in the World. The history of arbor festivals celebrated in our country dates back to very old times. Arbor festivals have been celebrated in every condition and environment from the Ottoman to the present day. Laws and regulations have been enacted to make these permanent. Many societies were established to make the country green. Books were written to increase the love of trees and forests. Efforts were made to raise awareness about arbor feasts through various mass media. In the study, in addition to the regulations such as archive documents, expert reports, forest law, draft laws and regulations; newspaper news, journal articles and contemporary research have been examined. During the period until the Republic of Turkey from the Ottoman Empire, the locations and times of the arbor festivals celebrated in our country were determined. People, institutions and associations leading the arbor festivals were introduced. The success of the arbor festivals, the different missions they undertook in the periods, and the legislation on the subject were discussed. All outputs were grouped as Ottoman Empire Period, National Struggle Period and Republican Period and processed chronologically. Arbor festivals, which were started in order to reclaim the Anatolian geography that has been destroyed for centuries through reforestation, started without legal support and with purely personal efforts. Arbor festivals were held in Istanbul, Bursa, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Ankara and Manisa in the last period of the Ottoman State. The arbor festivals also undertook the mission of owning land during the years of war and occupation. Arbor festivals were celebrated in many cities, towns and villages during the Republican Period. Various societies such as Ada Çamlarını Muhafaza ve Teksir Cemiyeti, Ankara Ağaç Derneği, Ağaç Muhipleri Cemiyeti and Himaye-i Eşcar were established in the last years of the Ottoman and the early period of the Republic. These societies held arbor festivals every year in order to encourage afforestation and to engrave the love of trees into hearts. Publications such as Let's Planting Trees, Planting Trees, Love of Trees and Religious and Social Benefits of Planting Trees were made and some of them were distributed to students free of charge. In addition, law support was sought to make the arbor festivals permanent. For the first time, the Forest Law No. 3116 has been guaranteed to celebrate the arbor festivals by law. However, the same rhythm was not achieved in celebrations held under the auspices of the law and celebrations on a voluntary basis. Thereupon, the law was amended. Especially after the 1950s, the success of arbor festivals increased with the increase in the number of forest nurseries, accordingly production of quality seedlings, and the giving the celebrations to the responsibility of the forestry organization.