▁the ▁Turkish ▁nation , ▁therefore ▁the ▁religion ▁of ▁Islam ▁has ▁to ▁be ▁reform ed ▁and ▁re inter pre ted . ▁Re forms , ▁in ▁many ▁respect s , ▁aim ed ▁to ▁decrease ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Arab ic ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁civil ization ▁within ▁the ▁Turkish ▁society . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁reform , ▁the ▁students ▁en roll ment ▁into ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁The ology ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ist an bul ▁was ▁also ▁decre ased . ▁ ▁Western ization ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁Young ▁Tur ks ▁and ▁other ▁Ott oman ▁intellect uals ▁asked ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁regarding ▁the ▁West ▁( prim arily ▁taken ▁to ▁mean ▁Christian ▁Europe ). ▁The ▁West ▁was ▁symbol ized ▁by ▁intellectual ▁and ▁scientific ▁asc end ancy , ▁and ▁provided ▁the ▁blue print ▁for ▁the ▁ideal ▁society ▁of ▁the ▁future . ▁Reform ers ▁declared ▁the ▁question ▁was ▁decided : ▁Turkey ▁would ▁look ▁to ▁the ▁West . ▁ ▁Political ▁re forms ▁▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁moment ▁the ▁republic ▁was ▁formally ▁proc laimed , ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁existence , ▁with ▁its ▁her itage ▁of ▁religious ▁and ▁d yn astic ▁authority . ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁dynast y ▁was ▁abol ished ▁by ▁the ▁An k ara ▁Government , ▁but ▁its ▁trad itions ▁and ▁cultural ▁symbols ▁remained ▁active ▁among ▁the ▁people ▁( though ▁less ▁so ▁among ▁the ▁el ite ). ▁ ▁The ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁system ▁vision ed ▁by ▁At at ür k ' s ▁Re forms ▁developed ▁in ▁stages , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1