Seferlik

Seferlik is a term used in Turkish to denote items, arrangements, or conditions prepared for a military campaign. The word derives from sefer, meaning expedition or campaign, combined with the suffix -lik, which forms a noun or attributive sense of relation or purpose. In Ottoman and early Republican Turkish texts, seferlik commonly appears in discussions of supplies, equipment, or organizational tasks allocated specifically for a campaign, distinguishing them from peacetime garrison stores or home-base logistics.

The concept of seferlik encompasses material provisions such as food, weapons, and transport as well as administrative preparations like muster rolls, transport assignments, and provisioning schedules designed for an expedition. It reflects an underlying approach to campaign logistics where resources are designated and organized for use during a military operation rather than in ordinary times.

In contemporary Turkish, seferlik is a specialized term and is rarely used in everyday speech. It is more frequently encountered in historical or academic contexts, particularly in studies of Ottoman military history, logistics literature, or dictionaries that document Ottoman Turkish terminology.

See also: Seferberlik; Ottoman military logistics; Turkish language; military provisioning.