Debating Through “The Other”: Celal Nuri and Abdullah Cevdet on Europe

The long history of relations between the Turks and the Europeans had a deep impact on the formation of their identities. After a long period of superiority over the Europeans, Turkish acceptance of first European equality and then European superiority had long lasting effects on the Turkish identity. Celal Nuri and Doctor Abdullah Cevdet, the two leading members of the Garbcılık movement (a group of Ottoman intellectuals formed during the early years of the 20th century) had heated debates as to what attitude should be taken towards Europe. This article mainly focuses on the debates on the acceptance of Europe during the aftermath of the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913. In this context, due attention is also paid to the ideas developed against the concept of mono-civilization and its history up to the formation of the Turkish Republic. Tufan BUZPINAR

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