The Ottoman Africa Studies in the Turkey
It is a source of grievance that whereas there are hundreds of institutes and research centers specializing on African Studies, there have been no serious attempts in this regard in Turkey, except several unsuccessful initiatives. The fact that in addition to the dynasty-states of Turks, which have a past of more than a millennium, the rule of Ottoman Empire in North and East Africa, especially Egypt, forces us to canalize our concern to this geography. Nevertheless, Turkey, with its strength in international arena, has been in close relations with the African states in social, political and economic fields. This article aims to emphasize that though they are not very much interrelated, and vary in theme and time, there have been considerable amount of publications in Turkish as well. By reviewing most of this literature, this article also intends to guide those people who are interested in Ottoman rule in Africa.
AHMET KAVAS
