Turkish Red Crescent
Türk Kızılay | |
Logo of the Turkish Red Crescent | |
| Formation | 1868 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Ottoman Empire (1868) re-established in Ankara, Turkey (1935) |
| Type | Humanitarian Aid |
| Legal status | Active; auxiliary role to the Turkish government and public authorities in emergency and humanitarian operations |
| Purpose | Disaster relief; emergency medical aid; refugee support; blood donation; healthcare; social services; international humanitarian aid |
| Headquarters | Ankara, Turkey |
| Membership | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) |
Official language | Turkish |
President | Fatma Meriç Yılmaz |
| Staff | 6,423 (headquarters & branch employees, 2023) |
| Volunteers | 327,114 (2023) |
| Website | www |
The Turkish Red Crescent (Turkish: Türk Kızılay) is the Turkish affiliate of the International Red Crescent and the first worldwide adopter of the crescent symbol for humanitarian aid.
Being the largest humanitarian foundation in Turkey, its roots goes back to the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856 and the Russo-Turkish War from 1876 to 1878, where disease overshadowed battle as the main cause of death and suffering among Turkish soldiers.
Operating to this day as a not-for-profit volunteer-based social service, it is considered one of the most important charity organizations in the Muslim world.