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From Ottoman Outreach to Modern Connections: Türkiye-Malaysia Relations

Southeast Asia was known to the classical Islamic world as a region of trade and burgeoning local Muslim communities from the earliest decades of the Islamic era. By the 16th century direct diplomatic connections were established between the local communities and the Ottoman Caliphate and this significant historical relationship is crucial for understanding the dynamics between the Western and Eastern Islamic worlds. Relations persisted until the First World War, after which the Republic of Türkiye emerged as the successor to the Ottoman Empire and interactions were more limited until Malaysia’s independence in 1957, after which a new phase of relations began, and by the 1990s, the relationship between Malaysia and Türkiye had rebounded. This study aims to explore the historical and contemporary relations between Turks and Malays based on primary sources, including Ottoman and Turkish archives, as well as Bahasa Melayu and English materials.

From Ottoman Outreach to Modern Connections Türkiye-Malaysia Relations
 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Throughout its historical evolution, “Malaysia” has been identified by a plethora of names, encompassing the Malay Peninsula, Malaya, and Melaka. In the era of colonial dominion, it was denominated as “British Malaya” or the “Straits Settlements.” Analogously, Türkiye has been designated by a multitude of appellations across the annals of history, including Anatolia, Byzantium, and the Ottoman Empire. Beyond these generic nomenclatures, historical documents attributable to both cultures have employed more nuanced terms to refer to each other. Esteemed works of classical Turkish literature, such as the Kitab-ı Bahriye and the Cihannûma, reference the Malay Peninsula utilizing a variety of expressions, including “Ceziretü’l-Hindiyye” and “Malakka.” Furthermore, traditional Malay texts spanning from the 15th to 17th centuries frequently employ terms such as “Turk,” “İstanbul,” and “Rum,” with references to their sovereigns as “Raja Rum.”1 Thus, the lexicon employed in the historical narratives of both Malaysia and Türkiye reflects the rich tapestry of cultural interchange and underscores the deep-rooted connections and mutual recognition that have evolved over centuries.

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