▁the ▁newly - f ounded ▁Republic ▁of ▁Turkey . ▁From ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁radical ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁re forms ▁were ▁instit uted . ▁They ▁transformed ▁Turkey ▁and ▁us her ed ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁era ▁of ▁modern ization , ▁including ▁civil ▁and ▁political ▁equality ▁for ▁sect arian ▁minor ities ▁and ▁women . ▁ ▁Re formation ▁of ▁Islam ▁▁ ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁was ▁an ▁Islam ic ▁state ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁the ▁Sultan , ▁also ▁held ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁C ali ph . ▁The ▁social ▁system ▁was ▁organized ▁around ▁the ▁mil let ▁structure . ▁The ▁mil let ▁structure ▁allowed ▁a ▁great ▁degree ▁of ▁religious , ▁cultural ▁and ▁eth nic ▁continu ity ▁across ▁the ▁society ▁but ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁permitted ▁the ▁religious ▁ide ology ▁to ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁administrative , ▁economic ▁and ▁political ▁system . ▁One ▁can ▁define ▁this ▁way ▁of ▁life ▁ ▁as ▁Islam ism ▁( Pol it ical ▁Islam ): ▁" the ▁belief ▁that ▁Islam ▁should ▁guide ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁personal ▁life ". ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁two ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁el ite ▁group ▁at ▁the ▁hel m ▁of ▁the ▁discuss ions ▁for ▁the ▁future . ▁These ▁were ▁the ▁" I sl am ist ▁reform ists " ▁and ▁the ▁" West ern ists ". ▁Many ▁basic ▁goals ▁were ▁common ▁to ▁both ▁groups . ▁Some ▁sec ular ▁intellect uals , ▁and ▁even ▁certain ▁reform - mind ed ▁Muslim ▁think ers , ▁accepted ▁the