Abstract
This study analyzes Chinese press perceptions of the Turkish National Struggle (1919–23) and Atatürk's subsequent reforms until his death. Based on extensive analysis of Chinese newspapers and journals from 1923–39, it focuses on the 1930s, a period of intense national crisis in China that saw a surge in interest in Türkiye's successful anti-imperialist and modernization efforts. The research highlights the influence of Atatürk's leadership and reforms on Chinese political and intellectual elites. It reveals two main spheres of engagement: Guomindang (GMD) leaders and military elites viewed Türkiye as a strategic model for state-centered national revival. Simultaneously, intellectuals offered a wider range of interpretations, falling into three categories: epic, leader-centric accounts; legal-nationalist perspectives; and empathetic yet critical analyses. By examining previously unexplored Chinese-language sources, this study offers a pioneering systematic analysis of how Republican-era Chinese intellectuals and media understood the Turkish experience. It makes a significant original contribution to the historiography of Sino-Turkish relations, detailing the instrumental and ideological ways in which Atatürk's Türkiye was interpreted by a nation searching for its own path to modernity and sovereignty.
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