To put it bluntly, Ottoman history is the history of the Turks, the history of the Turkish state. At the same time, though, it is the shared history of the more than ten nations that live in the twenty or so states in this part of the world, each of which has been home to tribes speaking different languages and following different religions. We have to accept these facts. Once we do, we will appreciate that without a knowledge of Ottoman history and of Turkish, it is impossible for people in the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus or Southern Russia to study history and to gain awareness of history. That is to say, unless they know Turkish and go into Turkish sources, there is no way that they can write the history of their own nations. Somehow the Hungarians and the Israelis (the latter being the latest newcomers to this region) have understood this. Unfortunately, the other former people of the Ottoman Empire cannot be said to have displayed the same insight.
- “Discovering the Ottomans” – Ilber Ortayli