Young Turk
Americannoun
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a member of a Turkish reformist and nationalist party that was founded in the latter part of the 19th century and was the dominant political party in Turkey in the period 1908–18.
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an insurgent in a political party, especially one belonging to a group or faction that supports liberal or progressive policies.
The leadership of the party passed from the cautious old-line conservatives to the zealous Young Turks.
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Also young Turk, young turk any person aggressively or impatiently advocating reform within an organization.
noun
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a progressive, revolutionary, or rebellious member of an organization, political party, etc, esp one agitating for radical reform
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a member of an abortive reform movement in the Ottoman Empire, originally made up of exiles in W Europe who advocated liberal reforms. The movement fell under the domination of young Turkish army officers of a nationalist bent, who wielded great influence in the government between 1908 and 1918
Etymology
Origin of Young Turk
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I reported all this for The Young Turks on May 11, 2022.
From Salon
During his time in the state House, Pryor gained a reputation as one of the “Young Turks” who were interested in reforming the state’s political system.
From Seattle Times
Uygur, the co-creator of the online news and commentary show “The Young Turks,” announced in October he was challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.
From Washington Times
“First, this primary hasn’t even begun, let alone ended,” the “Young Turks” host tweeted.
From Washington Times
“Parts of his concurrence read as a Black elder chiding and chastising an errant Young Turk who has publicly contradicted him and failed to show him sufficient deference,” she said.
From New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.