Development and Progress of Translation Activities in Türkiye from Late Ottoman to Early Republican Era

This study examines the development and progression of translation activities in Türkiye from the late Ottoman Empire to the early Republican era. It also explores how the Empire’s rich cultural and linguistic diversity laid the groundwork for significant translation practices that shaped Turkish literature and intellectual thought. Furthermore, it analyses how the translation efforts that accelerated during the Republican period contributed to the construction of a new national identity in the nascent Turkish Republic. The study addresses how the translation activities carried out by the Translation Bureau contributed to Türkiye’s cultural modernization and nation-building processes; how the objectives and modalities of translation evolved from the Tanzimat (Reformation) period to the Republican era; and how the Bureau functioned within the Turkish literary system. The research employs a historical-descriptive method and is based on archival documents, translated texts from the period, writings of translators, and secondary literature. The theoretical framework is informed by Even-Zohar’s Polysystem Theory and Toury’s Descriptive Translation Studies. Within this framework, the analysis investigates how translated texts were positioned within the literary system and shaped according to target-oriented translation norms. The findings reveal that the Translation Bureau was not merely an institution dedicated to introducing Western classics into Turkish, but also served as an ideological agent in the reconstruction of national identity. Its translation activities not only contributed to the formation of the literary canon but also facilitated the cultural consolidation of Republican ideals.