Japan as an element of curiosity and a role model in the Late Ottoman press

The historiography of the media and the press in Turkey is often traced along two lines. These are the liberal press narrative which is an adaptation of debates in philosophy and history in the U.S. and Europe to media and press historiography, and the nation-state centered methodological nationalism approach. According to these historical constructs that prioritize linear progression, the ability of the press to form public opinion against the government, voice people's issues, develop alternative political approaches to modernization and put pressure on government is deemed as a capability that belongs only to the press of countries in the capitalsit bloc. Therefore, this perspective retrospectively evaluates the Ottoman press and places it passively due to censorship, exile, or a less developed capitalist market. It implies that the press did not contribute to the modernization of the empire or at best, only looked towards European states for inspiration. This approach lacks objectivity and does not account for the potential role of the press in Ottoman modernization. However, the presence of numerous articles portraying Japan as a role model in the modernization of the Ottoman Empire, offering an example that challenges the traditional, Western-centric interpretations has been disregarded. This study focuses on articles that portray Japan as a model for the Ottomans. Ottoman journalists depict Japan as a step by step reflection of modernization for the Ottomans, considering their social and political contexts. In these articles, the journalists presented Japan as a model of modernization through four distinct themes. They firmly rejected the notion that modernization was purely Western-centered, instead, they proposed that the empire would thrive by modeling its policies on those of Japan. In fact, it was the journalists who played a pivotal role in the creation of a political alliance between the two states. Therefore, this study aims to provide a new approach as an alternative to the aforementioned established methods, using Japan as an example. Key Words: Ottoman Press, Liberal Historiography, Methodological Nationalism, Modernisation, Japan.