This paper is about the attitude of Mehmet Akif towards the Western culture and civilization. A critical appraisal of Akif's poetic collection Safahat reveals a strong opposition against the Western political ideas and civilization. This conflict springs from two factors namely: the failed innovative movements that the Ottoman Empire experienced and Akif's own religion based political and social concept of the world. These two aspects constitute an inevitable conflict in Akif's mind which is clearly revealed through his poetry.