From a Stratfor article:
The second step was to break the hold of Ottoman culture on Turkey itself.
Does it mean to maintain the Ottoman culture or to break it from?
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It means to break the hold or reduce the influence of Ottoman culture on Turkey. |
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"The second step was to get rid of the Ottoman cultural influence over the nation of Turkey." Break the hold of is being used metaphorically; for a literal use of the phrase, imagine a pair of wrestlers, Sam and Joe. Sam grabs the Joe's arm and holds onto it. Joe then twists in a particular way and breaks the hold, i.e. forces Sam to let go. |
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