In this study, Galatasaray High School is analyzed through the framework of cultural transfer, which focuses on the processes of adaptation and “re-semantization” instead of unidirectional transference. Here, it is crucial to recognize that transfer entails transformation rather than mere transport and should not be conflated with the simplistic notion of cultural exchange (Espagne, 2013a, p. 1). Cultural transfer, as conceptualized by Espagne, is an approach that transcends the limitations of traditional national frameworks in cultural history (2013b, p. 41). This approach aims to investigate how languages, ideas and practices were not merely imparted but also transposed and reconfigured. It focuses on the process through which cultural elements are translated from one context into another, paying special attention to the instances of mediation and the semantic transformations that occur during this transfer (Espagne, 2013b, pp. 41–42). The cultural transfer paradigm and the concept of “re-semantization” was further reinforced by its intersections with translation studies, especially the perspective that translation functions as a form of rewriting rather than mere replication. Lefevere (1992/2017) argues that translation inevitably involves a semantic transformation, as it introduces new concepts and adapts meaning within a different linguistic and cultural framework. This perspective strengthens the fundamental premise of cultural transfer and claims that the adaptation of imported knowledge, methods or practices is not a direct imitation but rather a process of transformation and reinterpretation.