From Ottoman Outreach to Modern Connections: Türkiye-Malaysia Relations

Abstract

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.