Legislative efforts during the Republican Era (1923–1926)

During the period from the Tanzimat to the Republic, discussions concerning the legal framework that Turkey should adopt remained a prominent issue, continuing even into the early years of the Republic. In this context, the Ottoman Empire's desire for reform became evident in various forms, beginning before the proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict and shaped by the political climate that paved the way for its announcement, as well as the policies implemented afterward. From the Tanzimat onward, reform initiatives, particularly in the field of law, persisted into the early Republican period, although they were occasionally interrupted. Over time, these efforts gradually evolved, and following the proclamation of the Republic, gave rise to a more radical transformation—one that may be defined as a legal revolution. Consequently, the long-standing reform efforts shifted toward a comprehensive legal restructuring. This study examines the legal developments from the Tanzimat through to the early Republican period within their historical context, with a specific focus on the codification efforts undertaken between 1923 and 1926. These are analyzed both in terms of their continuity with Ottoman-era reforms and their revolutionary character. Employing the historical method, the study evaluates official documents, parliamentary proceedings, legal texts of the period, and the accumulated academic literature. The findings indicate that the reformist initiatives originating in the late Ottoman period culminated in a systematic and ideologically motivated legal transformation after the establishment of the Republic. In this sense, the legal revolution not only introduced normative change but also led to a multifaceted restructuring that encompassed social and cultural dimensions. The study seeks to interpret this transformation through an analysis of both continuity and rupture, within the broader historical spirit of the period.