The changing structure of the legal profession in Turkey: An historical and sociological analysis.

This study deals with two main issues: the first is the structure of the legal profession in Turkey and the second is the nature of the relationship between the advocates and the state. The literature on the sociology of the professions is discussed and a theoretical vacuum is stressed as far as the developing countries are concerned. Since the historical characteristics of these countries are different from those in West European countries, a need for a new and specific approach is emphasised. To indicate these historical differences, an analysis of the historical development of the Turkish legal profession is presented. It is concluded that, especially towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, there emerged a dichotomy in the legal system. With the establishment of modem Turkey after First World War, European legal system was accepted and this dichotomy was ended. In this context, it is also asserted that the Turkish state could not be considered in separation from the legal profession. The results of an empirical research carried out in Turkey were also presented in the second part. In addition to the information concerning the structure of the advocacy system, the views of the advocates on the problems relating to their profession and the country were also presented. It is observed that Turkish advocates are very interested in political, economic, cultural and social problems. They believe that they can play a major role in resolving these problems. A comparison between the Istanbul and Sivas advocates is also drawn to determine whether the views of advocates in big cities and those in rural areas differ significantly from each other.