Charıtıes’ Actıvıtıes Of Cınema In Turkey And Publıc Perceptıon Of Cınema Untıl The Foundatıon Of Turkısh Republıc

Abstract

Cinema started to spread since The Second Constitutional Period, and in a short time, became an important part of popular culture in the Ottoman Empire. In accordance with the conditions of the country, cinema was used for military training and propaganda purposes. During World War I and the post-war period, some communities turned to cinema activities in order to generate income. In this sense, The National Defence Society (Müdâfaa-i Milliye Cemiyeti) and The Disabled Veterans' Society (Malûlîn-i Guzât Muâvenet Heyeti), tried to heal the wounds of society via the revenues obtained from film screenings. These activities established to help society, exemplify the early prototypes of Turkish cinema. This article was written to emphasize how Turkish cinema had pragmatic functions as mentioned above, during and after World War I. Although there are several academic studies on cinema, more fully elucidate early Turkish cinema. The other emphasis of the study is the effect of Charities' cinema activities on the public perception of the cinema in Turkey.