Abstract:

The aim of this study was defined as to examine the establishment and activities of Malûl Gaziler Pazarı Türk Anonim Şirketi (Disabled Veterans Market Turkish Incorporated Company) founded completely for the purpose of help in order to generate an income for Malûlîn-i Guzâta Muavenet Heyeti (Disability Veterans Aid Committee) working in favour of disabled people. During the World War I, Malûlîn-i Guzâta Muavenet Heyeti established on 20 March 1917 for the aims of fulfilling the needs of the Ottoman soldiers that were disabled and injured and providing them welfare conditions formed a store named Malûl Gaziler Pazarı (Disability Veterans Aid Market) in order to increase the income during the period of its establishment. It was transformed into a company called Malûl Gaziler Pazarı Türk Anonim Şirketi on 23 November 1924 after the proclamation of the Republic. The purpose of the company was to produce shoes and clothes by means of establishing a factory and setting up a manufacturing shop on behalf of Malûlîn-i Guzâta Muavenet Heyeti working for helping disabled veterans. Moreover, the company also aimed to trade on various goods related to haberdashery, drapery, fabric, and so on. Ferik Zeki Pasha who was the head of Malûlîn-i Guzât Muavenet Heyeti became the head of the company as well. The company acted on behalf of disabled people, and in this respect, it helped the soldiers who became disabled while serving in the army according to levels of need and disability and tried to increase its income in order to obtain artificial limbs for the soldiers. Also, the company endeavoured to make the disabled people producers by employing them in their corporations. The main sources of the research were the documents of the Turkish General Staff ATASE Archive, the Ottoman Archives of the Presidency and the Republic Archive of the President.

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