Turkish Red Crescent introduces culture, arts publication
Some of the books published by Kızılay Culture & Arts Publications displayed in the press meeting, Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 10, 2023. (AA Photo)


The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) introduced the first book under its Kızılay Culture & Arts Publications to announce Kızılay's archives and activities to more people and to transfer them to future generations since its establishment in 1868.

Based on the Turkish Red Crescent's 154-year-old archives, the first publications were introduced with the participation of Turkish Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık, authors and many other guests. Creating a bridge between the past and the future, the book will be presented to readers in hard copies as well as in electronic versions.

Emphasizing the need to share information with the world, President Kınık said: "If you don't record, analyze, share the information with the world, it means that you have destroyed that information. Therefore, we present our culture and art publications with the aim to share universal and human knowledge with people. You will see a wide range of content, from memoir series to scientific frames, from popular technological publishing to literature and poetry. There will be bulletins on the covers with the names of the presidents."

Noting there aren't many initiatives in society to study and analyze history, Kınık said: "We will continue the initiative with a publishing policy that tries to encompass the entire framework of Kızılay's ecosystem, which is not only limited to disasters but humanitarian aid and public health, putting people in focus."

Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) President Kerem Kınık introduces the Kızılay Culture & Arts Publications during the press meeting, Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 10, 2023. (AA Photo)

"For example, we have a midwifery internship book, which was questioned during the publication process in the past. Why not publish such a work? The midwifery internship book was Besim Ömer's effort, who established modern obstetrics and gynecology and was the director of the Turkish Red Crescent Society. He was the person who brought the culture of midwifery and nursing, theorizing the modern midwifery and nursing science in Türkiye. He trained nurses and midwives during the nursing and midwifery courses that he conducted for six months in Selimiye Barracks," the president explained.

"Our volunteer girls became the medics of the Turkish Red Crescent, who worked on all fronts in the Crimean, Balkan, Greco-Turkish War, Russo-Turkish, World War I and the Turkish War of Independence. One of the nurses kept a record of the internship. We tried to translate the notebook into Turkish with its Latin inscription. We have many publications similar to this work. This is actually a great treasure that cannot be formed even with a group of academicians," he elaborated.