In 2026, Turkey, a social media ban for those under 15 is coming. Did the government, known as conservative, corrupt young people with social media for many years? Of course not. This is simply the result of an imitation of the West that has been ingrained in our genes. We cannot act unless Europe does. Türkiye has implemented it after Canada and Frace did. If we do not see it in the West, we cannot implement even what is most necessary. For nearly 300 years, there has been such a lack of self-confidence. Now let us list the attempts at imitation.
In 1770, after the Ottoman navy was burned by the Russians at the Battle of Çeşme, the Hendese Room (later Mühendishane-i Bahri Hümayun) was established through the initiative of Cezayirli Hasan Hoca. In 1775, education began with tools, books, and teachers brought from France. The instructors spoke French, and interpreters translated for the students.
1789–1807: Nizam-ı Cedid (“New Order”) – The First Steps of Westernization
The Nizam-ı Cedid movement, initiated during the time of Selim III, was the first major step in the Ottoman Empire’s Westernization process. The first translation movements were carried out in the military and legal fields. Western-style institutions such as the Naval Academy, the Humbarahane (Bombardier School), and the Artillery School were established. European officers and experts were consulted in preparing the curricula, and technical knowledge was translated from foreign languages. During this period, new military uniforms were introduced, military training was regularized, and a structure similar to the “new order” seen in the French Revolutionary Wars replaced the undisciplined Janissary system. The term Nizam-ı Cedid was inspired by the “New Order” concept that emerged in France (under the Bonaparte regime).
1826–1839: Mahmud II and the New Army – Westernization in Central Administration
Sultan Mahmud II (1808–1839) established a new army called Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye, Western in everything except its name. Mahmud II was the first to wear Western-style suits, to alter traditional palace architecture, and to build palaces compatible with the neoclassical and rococo styles common in Europe (for example, the Beyazıt Fire Tower, 1828). During this period, Western-style educational institutions such as Tıbbiye-i Şahane (1827) and Mühendishane-i Berri Hümayun stood out. Mahmud II was also the first to commission and display Western-style portraits of a ruler. He initiated the first “hat reform” by replacing the turban with the fez.
1839–1856: Tanzimat and Islahat Edicts – Legal and Administrative Reforms
In 1839, Abdülmecid proclaimed the Tanzimat Edict (Gülhane Imperial Edict) under British influence. It guaranteed the security of life, property, and honor of citizens and equality before the law, pledging to end the millet system and ethnic discrimination. The 1840 Penal Code directly Westernized definitions of crime and punishment; the 1858 Penal Code was largely adopted from the French Penal Code. The 1850 Commercial Code was adapted from France. The first secular courts were established in the field of commerce during this period. The Mecelle of 1876 was an imitation of the French term “Codex.” Imitating the West in the field of law shows how determined and persistent this imitation was, even in matters that were the essential domain of Sharia.
Administrative reforms such as the Vilayet Regulation were also introduced. With the 1856 Islahat Edict, non-Muslims began to take roles in Western-style institutions. Equal opportunities in education and justice were explicitly emphasized. Institutions such as the Meclis-i Vala-yı Ahkam-ı Adliyye (1837) were reorganized on Western foundations. The Şura-yı Devlet (1868), modeled after the French Conseil d’État, initiated the administrative judiciary and advised legislative processes.
1840s–1860s: Westernization in Education – Educational Organization and Regulations
In 1845, Education Councils were established; in 1846, the first Ministry of Education was formed; and in 1857, the Encümen-i Daniş (Scholarly Council) was created to plan modern schools. It was modeled after the French Academy of Sciences, and teachers were sent to Paris for training. With the General Education Regulation of 1869, the foundations of the Ottoman education system were laid entirely according to Western norms. The French education system served as the main model for educational levels, curricula, and teacher training methods.
Institutions such as Mekteb-i Sultani (Galatasaray High School), opened in 1868 as a French-model school, and Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi (Academy of Fine Arts), founded in 1883, exemplified Western educational imports. French teachers taught in French, and the library contained predominantly French works. The school was located in Galata and Beyoğlu, predominantly non-Muslim districts. In 1857, the first municipality, called the “Sixth Municipal District,” was established there—named after Paris’s Sixth Arrondissement, where Mustafa Reşit and Ali Pasha had once lived.
1839–1900: Western Influences in Architecture and Culture
Western styles marked 19th-century Ottoman architecture. Dolmabahçe Palace (1839–1856) reflected Baroque and Rococo elements, while Beylerbeyi and Yıldız Palaces resembled European palaces in miniature. The Mecidiye Pavilion was described as “entirely a small-scale imitation of a European palace.” Monuments and fountains built during this period reflected neo-classical styles influenced by Austria-Hungary or France rather than classical Ottoman motifs.
In art, through the Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi (1883), Western painting and sculpture techniques were adopted. European-style orchestras and concert culture developed in music. From 1826 onward, Western-style orchestras performed at state ceremonies, and sultans commissioned marches from European composers.
The reformist intellectuals were called the Young Turks, and they lived in exile in France and England. The reformist organization they named the Committee of Union and Progress seized control of the state by modeling itself on Italy’s Carbonari organization.The Second Constitutional Era adopted the French Revolution’s slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” as “Liberty, Equality, Justice.” State officials imitated Napoleon, dressing and behaving like Westerners.
Transformation in art and literature reached such a level that themes rooted in Turkish cultural life were abandoned in favor of Western ones such as forbidden love, nationalism, and the subconscious. Western imitations dominated aesthetic life. The paintings of the last Caliph, Abdülmecid Efendi, illustrate this extent.
1923–1938: Republican Reforms – Secularism and Full Westernization
With the establishment of the Republic (1923), Turkey officially transitioned to a Western-oriented system. The sultanate was abolished, the Republic proclaimed, and in 1924 the unification of education law was enacted, institutionalizing secularism. The 1925 Hat Law required European-style hats instead of the fez. The 1926 Civil Code was entirely modeled after the Swiss Civil Code and introduced gender equality in family law. The adoption of the Latin alphabet (1928), the metric system, and Western calendar and time systems aligned daily life with Western standards. Sharia law was completely abolished, and legal codes were restructured according to modern state norms. Surnames became mandatory; titles were abolished. These reforms implemented Western models across society and transformed its structure profoundly.
Later Period: Multi-Party Life and Contemporary Westernization
After World War II, Turkey joined NATO (1952), formally aligning with the Western bloc. In 1946, it transitioned to multi-party politics. The European Union candidacy process and alignment efforts in the 2000s further strengthened integration with Western norms. In short, since the Ottoman era, Turkey has adopted European and American models in education, law, the military, culture, fashion, and architecture. Today, much of Turkey’s legislation and institutions are derived from Western counterparts.
CONCLUSION
Imitation is the result of not being able to accomplish something—it belongs to infancy. As children, we begin to adapt and learn by modeling. The requirement of adulthood and reason is to struggle. Analysis, synthesis, and induction are stages of learning achieved through difficulty and effort. Only adults with vision do this. To become an adult requires taking responsibility. Without responsibility, one cannot be strong. If we move from imitation to modeling, and then to responsibility, we can create something original.
