This book bridges historical analysis and strategic studies to explore the complex interplay between legal reform, secularization, and military strategy in both the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. Beyond institutional transformation, it critically examines the enduring relationship between the Ottomans/Turks and Europe/the West. Rejecting binary frameworks, the book challenges conventional narratives that position the Ottoman Empire and Turkey outside of European history and identity. It argues instead that the Ottomans were inherently and continuously European. This work is intended for academics, policymakers, and general readers interested in Middle Eastern and Turkish history, civil-military relations, military strategy, legal and political reform, geopolitics, international relations, and the philosophy of history and modernity.