Halkevleri

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Until 1950 the headquarters of the Halkevleri, today the Ankara Sculpture Museum

The Halkevleri ( Turkish for people's houses ), singular: Halkevi , were an educational project funded by the Turkish state between 1932 and 1951, as well as a citizens' organization between 1963 and 1980. The Halkevleri movement has been active again since 1987. The aim of the Volkshäuser was to improve the educational situation and learn about modern European culture while at the same time reflecting on Turkish folk culture. The former chairman was the lawyer Oya Ersoy , the current chairman is Dilşat Aktaş.

Scope of the project

Former Halkevi in ​​Samsun
Children receive free education from volunteer teachers in Halkevleri during the summer
Halkevleri flags in May day 2012

The Halkevleri were an educational project that was initially aimed at city residents to compensate for the material damage and intellectual losses of the First World War and the Turkish Liberation War . It was planned by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , the founder of the Turkish state.

On February 17, 1932, Halkevleri branches were opened in 17 cities: Adana , Ankara , Bolu , Bursa , Çanakkale , Denizli , Diyarbakır , Eskişehir , Istanbul , Izmir , Konya , Malatya and Samsun . The number soon rose to 478. Around 1940 villages were also included in the project. The branches in the villages were called Halkodaları ( German  people's areas ). By 1950, the total exceeded the 4000 mark.

activities

The intention behind the project was to improve the educational situation in Turkey, to enlighten people in the context of European culture and to limit the influence of neo-Ottoman and neo-fundamentalist circles. Free courses were offered in literature , drama , music , the fine arts , speaking and writing, and craft and tailoring. Folk dances and folk music were also recorded. The Halkevleri also had 761 libraries and reading rooms.

One of the most famous teachers in the people's houses was the Alevi şık Veysel Şatıroğlu .

First era 1932–1951

The Halkevleri operated as a state organization between 1932 and 1951 and were provided by the ruling Kemalist Republican People's Party (CHP) . After the multi-party period since 1945, the people's houses were heavily criticized. After the opposing Democratic Party won the parliamentary election in 1950 , the Halkevleri were closed on August 8, 1951 by order of Adnan Menderes and their property was confiscated.

Second era 1963–1980

On April 12, 1961, the people's houses reopened as Türk Kültür Ocakları , but not as a government organization, but as a civil society. On April 21, 1963, they were renamed Halkevleri again. This second era , unlike the 1932–1951 era, was completely independent of the government. From then on, the Halkevleri functioned as an umbrella organization for more left-wing movements that were relatively influential before the Turkish military coup in 1980 . Some supported the left movement Devrimci Yol , which was also active in many Halkevleri branches. This was one of the main reasons the People's Houses closed after the 1980 military coup. The entire property was confiscated. In the wake of the coup, a trial was opened that ended in 1987 with an acquittal. However, the seized property was not returned.

Third era since 1987

In 1987 the Halkevleri were reopened. Today the Halkevleri act as an umbrella organization that campaigns for comprehensive rights, including the “right to free education”, the “right to free medical treatment” and the “right to shelter”. It was also about transport, energy and water, which should not be treated as goods but should become common property. Precarious working conditions were also criticized.

After the protest against the so-called Operation Olive Branch of the Turkish military, members of the People's Houses in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities were arrested. By order of the prefecture in Ankara, three people's houses in Ankara and a library were closed on April 1, 2018.

Individual evidence

  1. a b Claims of the People's Houses then and now ( Turkish )
  2. Today's activities of the Halkevleri ( Turkish )
  3. Turkish People's Houses: Citizens' Movement in Sight . ( taz.de [accessed on April 22, 2018]).
  4. Volkshäuser page ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ( Turkish )  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.halkevleri.org.tr
  5. Altan Öymen: öfkeli Yıllar. Doğan Kitap, 2009, ISBN 978-605-1-11401-9 , pp. 203-220.
  6. Türkiye'nin 75 yılı , Tempo, İstanbul, 1998.
  7. Turkish People's Houses: Citizens' Movement in Sight . ( taz.de [accessed on April 22, 2018]).
  8. Turkish People's Houses: Citizens' Movement in Sight . ( taz.de [accessed on April 22, 2018]).
  9. Turkish People's Houses: Citizens' Movement in Sight . ( taz.de [accessed on April 22, 2018]).