Republicanism in Turkey: visions, dreams and cultivation of a political reality

Official URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13569317.2024.2442320

This article explores the origins and historical development of republican thought and models within the intellectual and political context of the late Ottoman Empire and the early Turkish Republic. It challenges the misconception that there was little debate about republicanism in Turkey before the 1920s, arguing instead that a rich discourse on republican ideas existed. The article further highlights the emergence of a distinctively Turkish republican idiom, influenced by the broader post-French Revolutionary republican tradition. It also aims to revise the Eurocentric approach to the study of republicanism by incorporating Turkey’s contributions, thus expanding the scope of republicanism beyond linguistic and national boundaries. The article is structured in three sections. The first part examines how the Young Ottomans engaged with republican ideas such as self-rule, liberty as non-dependence, and sovereignty, and how they sought to design a political model for their era. The second section focuses on the political thought of the Young Turks, emphasizing contributions from positivist, radical, and religious perspectives. Finally, the third section analyzes the various republican models and ideological struggles that shaped the formative years of the Turkish Republic, influencing its early political identity and legacy.