Turkish Red Crescent Marks 158th Anniversary with Nationwide Ceremonies

The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) celebrated its 158th founding anniversary, originally established on 11 June 1868 as the Ottoman Society for the Aid of Wounded and Sick Soldiers. A special program was held at the Presidential Complex, attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, senior Kızılay officials, and branch leaders from all 81 provinces. The ceremony also featured the presentation of the Kızılay Goodness Awards.

Local municipalities marked the milestone with tangible contributions. In Kayseri’s Talas district, officials inaugurated a new Kızılay service building that had been constructed to strengthen disaster‑relief capacity, especially after the February 6 earthquakes. Talas mayor Mustafa Yalçın highlighted the facility as a permanent symbol of the nation’s solidarity.

In Akşehir, the Kızılay branch laid a wreath in Republic Square, with branch head Av. M. Serhat Arslan noting that the organization now assists 33 million people annually worldwide and delivers roughly a quarter of all international Red Cross‑Red Crescent aid. He also cited the involvement of about 450 thousand volunteers and the operation of 45 kitchens serving thousands of meals daily.

The celebrations underscored Kızılay’s role as a leading humanitarian network, both within Turkey and globally, continuing a legacy of aid during wars, natural disasters, and health crises.