Translation, imported western legal frameworks and insights from the Turkish world of patents
The field of patent protection was imported via translation from West-European countries into Turkey. Not only the legal framework but also patent specifications as a text type have been adopted from Western legal traditions. Previous research has revealed that unlike Western textual models of patent specifications with their specific macro and micro structures varying according to the legal tradition of each country in the exporting system, we are not in a position to speak of a specific text type for the Turkish context. This paper offers a brief introduction to the role of translation in the drafting of laws and regulations in the Turkish Republic and discusses the reception of the patent system including the problems encountered in the transfer process into Turkey. It will also offer a number of insights to be drawn from the specific circumstances in Turkey which will also have implications for a discussion on the phenomenon of translation in the age of globalization.