Abstract

In this study, which claims the presence of authentic development economists in Turkey, the aim is to seek Turkey's development within the economic thought that arises from its own land. In this way, it may be possible to address Turkey's development challenges over the past 100 years with the awareness and insights of those who are rooted in the local context. While the Republic represents a different structure, the memory of the Empire and the thought patterns of Ottoman people have played a significant role in its establishment. In this context, another claim of the study is that the development of Turkey cannot be understood without examining the economic tradition of the Ottoman Empire. It has not been possible to cover all the thinkers within the tradition of Ottoman economics. Therefore, the economic thought of Ahmed Midhat, Namık Kemal, and Ziya Gökalp will be discussed in detail, and recommendations regarding Turkey's development issues will be debated in the light of the views of these thinkers. As a result, it has been understood that the authors, by getting rid of the Eurocentric perspective, draw attention to the originality of the Ottoman Empire and their development perspectives shed light on the present day.