Ataturk’s Reforms That Westernized Turkey

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of modern Turkey, implemented sweeping reforms in the 1920s and 1930s to rapidly transform the new Turkish Republic into a modern, Westernized state Ataturk’s reforms touched all aspects of life, from clothing to the calendar, education to economy His vision was for Turkey to abandon its Ottoman Islamic heritage and embrace secular Western values.

Legal Reforms

One of Ataturk’s most significant reforms was the introduction of secular laws to replace Islamic law (Sharia).

• In 1924, Islamic courts and canon law were abolished. A new secular civil code based on the Swiss civil code was adopted. This established equality between men and women and banned polygamy.

• A new penal code modeled after the Italian penal code was also adopted. This meant punishment would no longer include traditional Islamic practices like stoning

• Most significantly, Ataturk instituted a secular constitution in 1924 which enshrined the separation of religion and state. Islam was no longer the state religion.

These legal reforms were intended to align Turkey’s laws with Western norms instead of Islamic traditions.

Social Reforms

Ataturk introduced social reforms to push Turkish society in a more Western progressive direction, especially regarding women’s rights.

• The veil was discouraged as old-fashioned, while Western-style hats and clothing were promoted for men and women.

• Women gained voting rights in 1934 and could now hold political office.

• Ataturk abolished Islamic titles like “efendi”, discouraged the use of “pamuk” (cotton) for last names which indicated slave origins, and instituted surnames for all citizens in 1934.

Cultural Reforms

Ataturk saw adopting Western cultural practices as essential for becoming modern.

• The Western calendar replaced the Islamic calendar in 1925.

• The Sufi whirling dervish religious orders were outlawed in 1925.

• The fez hat, associated with the Ottoman Empire, was banned.

• The week was changed to match the Western Sunday-to-Saturday week, making Sunday the legal day of rest.

• The Turkish Language Association promoted the replacement of Arabic and Persian loanwords with Turkish equivalents.

Political Reforms

Ataturk established Turkey as a Western-style secular republic with himself as president.

• The Ottoman sultanate was abolished in 1922.

• The Islamic caliphate was abolished in 1924, leaving the Muslim world without a caliph for the first time.

• Islam lost its status as the state religion, and religious schools were closed down.

• A single-party system ruled Turkey until 1950, with Ataturk’s Republican People’s Party instituting his reforms.

Ataturk’s wide-ranging reforms fundamentally changed Turkey from an Islamic empire to a Westernized secular nation-state. By replacing Islamic institutions with Western ones, Ataturk hoped to lead Turkey into the modern world. However, these abrupt reforms also disconnected the country from its Ottoman past.