The developments that took place in Europe -initially underestimated by the Ottoman Empire -gradually led to the loss of the Ottoman superiority over the West in every respect, ultimately resulting in its withdrawal from the stage of history. The defeats suffered and the large-scale territorial losses revealed to the Ottoman intellectuals and ruling elite the urgent need for reform in both the state and society, beginning with the military. Although these reforms were implemented belatedly, they marked significant changes in state governance. The primary motivation behind the idea of modernization was to regain power; however, this required adopting Western science, art, and technology. As a result of this inherent contradiction, a crisis of civilization and identity emerged within society. In response, literary figures, with the sensitivity of intellectuals, assumed an active role in overcoming this crisis. They first recognized the necessity of innovation within literature itself, and from the early Tanzimat period onward, they took pioneering steps in this direction. These initiatives, influenced by the West, laid the foundation for contemporary Turkish literature. This study evaluates the impact of the "necessity" of modernization on literature and the social fabric.

Modermism, Tanzimat, Turkish literature, westernization