SUMMARY
Fetih Dernegi ve Istanbul’un Fethinin 500. Yili ÖzTürkiye’de, 500. yildönümü 1953 yilinda kutlanacak olan Istanbul’un Fethi kutlamalari için hazirliklara Cumhurbaskani Ismet Inönü döneminde baslanmis ve 1950 yilinda 500. Yil ve Müteakip Fetih Yillarini Kutlama Dernegi adiyla bir dernek kurulmustur. 1950 yilinda yapilan seçimler sonucunda yasanan hükümet degisimi fetih kutlama planlarina gölge düsürmemis ve hazirliklar devam etmistir. Demokrat Parti iktidari döneminde hazirliklarina hizli bir sekilde devam eden cemiyet, yasadigi maddi imkânsizliklara ragmen çesitli faaliyetler organize etmistir. Basbakan Adnan Menderes ve Cumhurbaskani Celal Bayar’in katilmadigi kutlama etkinlikleri, çesitli eksiklikler ve devlet erkâninin katilmamasindan dolayi basin tarafindan sert elestirilere maruz kalmistir. Diger yandan devlet erkâninin törenlere katilmamis olmasi kutlanilan olayin bir diger muhatabi Yunanistan tarafindan da bir sagduyu örnegi olarak nitelendirilmistir. Bu çalismada, Demokrat Parti döneminde faaliyet gösteren Fetih Dernegi, dernegin yapisi, organizasyonlari ve kutlama faaliyetleri arsiv belgeleri ve süreli yayinlar kullanilarak incelenmistir. Association of Conquest and The 500th Anniversary of Conquest of Istanbul Abstract In Turkey, the preperations of conquest celebrations of Istanbul, of which 500th anniversary would be celebrated in 1953, were begun in the period of President Ismet Inonu and an association called Association of 500th Anniversary and Celebrating the Following Anniversaries of Conquest of Istanbul was founded. The governmental change as a result of 1950 elections did not overshadow to the plans of conquest celebrations and then preparations continued. The association which proceeded its preparations rapidly in the Democratic Party era, organised several activities inspite of financial impossibilities. The celebration activities in which Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and President Celal Bayar didn’t attend were criticised rigorously by press because of the deficiencies of organizations and absence of high officials. On the other hand the absence of the president and the prime minister in the celebrations, was qualified as an example of common sense by the other part of the case, Greece. In this study the Association of Conquest which was active in Democrat Party era, the structure and organizations of the association and its celebration activities were analysed in the light of archival documents and periodicals.