Views of Yusuf Akçura on education and culture

This thesis has been prepared to study views of Yusuf Akçura on education and culture who is regarded as the theoretician of Turkism.With this study about Yusuf Akçura who is defined as a ?Forgotten Man? by Niyazi Berkes and as a ?typical enlightened person who pushed the limits of orthodoxy and as a ?saint who predict some developments? by F. Georgeon, and about his ?Educational and Cultural? views, it was aimed to reveal his contributions to the ideological life of the Ottomans and to the National Turkish State. Moreover, it was aimed to reveal an unsought aspect of it up to the present either with his educational or cultural views.As a result of research and assessment performed, the views of Yusuf Akçura on education and culture has been a guide either with his ideas during the late periods of Ottoman State or establishment and institutionalization of reforms made by newly founded National Turkish State.In the late periods of Ottoman State, especially in a period regarded as the beginning of the second constitutional period, he revealed a kind of formula for the survival of state and for the prevention of its breakup with the ?Üç Tarz-ı Siyaset? (Three Policies). Nevertheless, in the same manner, he assessed Turkism with the several dimensions and gave new meanings to it.He had been a pioneer of reforms required to be made for being a contemporary state in the National Turkish State. In this period of time, he made many applications together with Atatürk. He took the chair in the I. History Congress met with the order and directives of Atatürk.Akçura did intensive studies to eliminate existing scholastic style in teaching methods and in many fields studied in schools. Especially, he introduced specific thoughts in history and historiography.Target population of the study is constituted by works, articles, writings and conferences of Yusuf Akçura and writings about him. Sample of the study consists of views of Yusuf Akçura on education and culture, and on Turkism, Turkish Nationalism and Turkish reforms in his books, articles, conferences and in the works written about him.In this study that has a historical character, first the literature review was made to access to the findings. Data and findings obtained as a result of review was classified with the same method again, and underlying findings and commentary part was formed.Key Words: Akçura, Three Policies, Turkism, Education, Culture