In the light of rhetorical argumentations in the 19th century Ottoman press: Transformation of literature

This study is an attempt to analyse the rhetorical argumentation style in the last quarter of the 19th century with consideration to influences on the literary style of the period. Studies on rhetoric more often than not have focused on langauge-related aspects, while the link between rhetoric and literature has been disregarded. Consequently, rhetoric as a literary discourse has been limited to discussions on language and alphabet. The formation of an authentic national rhetoric is influenced by both old and new literary traditions. The encounter with the West from the 18th century not only caused social change but also brought changes to the literary tradition. One such change was the idea of separating Ottoman rhetoric from its Arabic counterpart. In this manner, rhetoric came to embody a new literary style by eliminating previous lingual and literary discourses. Thus, the significance of discussions on rhetoric in literary circles is the main focus of this study. In the first section of this study, the history of Ottoman rhetoric, the relationship between rhetoric and literature, and finally, the rhetoric of Ottoman literature are examined. The second chapter focuses on particular periodicals, namely Tercümân-i Hakîkat, Cerîde-i Havâdis, Vakit and Tarîk. An analysis is undertaken of certain literary stylistic changes featured in these periodicals. The last section of this study examines the reformation period and its impact on Ottoman literature and literary discussions. Keywords: rhetoric, literature, language, argumentation