The Changes in the Turkish Administrative and Juridical Structure and its Present State

Abstract

Frenchby Dr. Siddik Sami Onar.The author makes a clear distinction between three periods: a.The Islamic period, from the foundation of the Ottoman Empire until 1839, during which the Sultan had absolute political power. The Law was founded both on the Koran and on traditional rules. Civil servants were divided into four specific groups, and considerable attention was paid to the organisation of recruitment and training.In the course of the 17th Century, when the Ottoman Empire declined, the authorities realised that reforms, on the lines of the Western European model, had become necessary.b.The « Tanzimat » (Reform) period (1839–1923). A democratic constitution was adopted in 1876, suspended a year later, and restored in 1908. Western European, and especially French, influences became stronger in the field of general administration (e.g. the establishment of ministerial Departments) as well as in Law (in addition to the original Islamic rules, Turkey adopted the French commercial and penal Codes). Moreover, local administration was strongly centralised.c.The Republican period. After World War I, a Government, called the « Grand Turkish National Assembly » was established at Ankara. Turkey was declared a Republic, and a new Constitution adopted in 1924. The Assembly became a Parliament, while executive powers were entrusted to a Council of Ministers. The administrative reforms from the Tanzimat period were maintained and improved. The Swiss Civil Code was adopted and State interventions in the economic field considerably increased.