Abstract
The essay analyses the evolution of central, provincial and municipal administration in the Ottoman Empire and in the Republic of Turkey, highlighting the structural and ideological continuum between the two. Indeed, the current basic legal framework regulating Turkish public administration still holds those power imbalances that have shaped the relation between central and local institutions during Ottoman rule. In addition, the approach towards reforms has shown recurring patterns and second agendas that undermined the development of a solid and clear administrative structure.