The Impact of the Sefaretnames (Ambassadorial Reports) on Turkish Modernization: The Example of the Fransa Sefaretnamesi and the Avrupa Risalesi Türk Modernleşmesinde Sefaretnamelerin Etkisi: Fransa Sefaretnamesi ve Avrupa Risalesi Örneği
Osmanli Medeniyeti Arastirmalari Dergisi, cilt.2026, sa.28, ss.197-226, 2026 (Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 2026 Sayı: 28
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.21021/osmed.1734321
- Dergi Adı: Osmanli Medeniyeti Arastirmalari Dergisi
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.197-226
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Avrupa Risalesi, Fransa Sefaretnamesi, Mustafa Sami Efendi, Turkish Modernization, Yirmisekiz Celebi Mehmet Efendi
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study examines the impact of sefaretnames (ambassadorial reports), a key element of the modernization process in the Ottoman Empire, through Yirmisekiz Çelebi Mehmet Efendi’s “Fransa Sefaretnamesi” and Mustafa Sami Efendi’s “Avrupa Risalesi”. The sefaretnames are among the most valuable written documents, enabling analysis of the cultural structure of Europe and its impact on the Ottoman Empire. Given the texts that frame Turkish modernization, a sociological examination of the sefaretnames is crucial. This study, a discourse analysis based on archival and source research from a historical sociological perspective, aims to reveal how the sefaretnames influenced the Turkish modernization process. The Fransa Sefaretnamesi serves as a pioneering text in conveying the first concrete and systematic contacts with the West. The Avrupa Risalesi, on the other hand, reflects the impact of Western modernization and development models on the intellectuals and statesmen of the period, after the initial shock of these contacts had passed. The study’s findings demonstrate that while sefaretnames were written by civil servants, they were not solely political texts; they extensively covered social and cultural elements and daily life practices. They also suggest that sefaretnames can be interpreted as a significant tool in shaping the intellectual and cultural foundations of Turkish modernization.