"The history of Europe and the history of the Ottomans are two parallel histories; for this reason, the history of the two worlds should be studied comparatively."
HALİL İNALCIK
From the middle of the fifteenth century on, the Ottoman Empire played a crucial role in shaping European history. This factor has not been weaved into Western historiography to its detriment, because explaining concepts such as raison d'etat, realpolitik, balance of power or even European identity remai ...