Finike-Kaş District Organization of the Republican People’s Party and Construction of Community Centres (1923-1951)

Abstract

After the occupation of İzmir, the Antalya Association for Defence of National Rights was established, and in September 1919 the Finike and Kaş Association for Defence of National Rights were established. On May 12, 1924, when the Antalya Association for Defence of National Rights was transformed into the Republican People’s Party, the same process was carried out in the districts of Finike and Kaş. It is observed that the district administrations of Finike and Kaş did not have their own buildings in the Republican era but served in different places. After the Second World War, with the start of the construction of the Community Center in the districts, the party was able to own a property. But it took a long time to complete the Finike and Kaş Community Centres (Halkevleri) buildings. Within the scope of the law enacted by the Democratic Party on 8 August 1951, the properties of the Republican People's Party, the Community Centre and the Public Room (Halkodası) were transferred to the treasury. So, the Republican People’s Party had no property in Fenike and Kaş districts. In this study, the activities of the Finike and Kaş District Administration Committees of the Republican People's Party and the construction of the Community Centres there are emphasized.