1. 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.
2. an insurgent in a political party, esp. 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.
3. Also, young Turk, young turk . any person aggressively or impatiently advocating reform within an organization.
[ 1900-05 ]