CHILD WORKERS FROM AN EMPIRE TO A REPUBLIC: THE HEREKE FACTORY AS TRANSITIONAL SPACE (1910s-1950s)

This study examines the changing patterns of child labour at the Hereke Factory during the late years of the Ottoman Empire and the early years of the Turkish Republic. In the Ottoman era, the factory's management initiated its first housing projects for workers' families and built dormitories for single employees and child labourers, many of whom were orphans. These housing initiatives for civil servants and workers continued after the Republic was founded, especially following the factory’s transfer to Sümerbank, with orphaned children still working there. The issue of child labour and orphans played a significant role in the early days of the Turkish Republic, which saw a major shift in the workforce, particularly among the proletariat. The period from the 1910s to the 1950s marked a gradual transition from forced labour to voluntary employment, which notably influenced the dynamics of the labour force.