TURKS AND ENGLISH: FIRST ENCOUNTERS IN HISTORY
TÜRKLER VE İNGİLİZLER; TARİHTE İLK MÜNASEBETLER

Author : Hasan BAKTIR
Number of pages : 169-179

Abstract

This paper attempts to investigate the first encounter between Tursk and English. During the Crusades from Europe to Holy Land, the crusaders faced and fought against Seljuk Empire in Anatolia. Akdes Nimet Kurat and Ismail Uzunçarşılı write about political aspects of Anglo-Turkish relationships. However, Crusades, especially first Crusade and Mediterranean trades have not been discussed. Seljuk Empire in Anatollian peninsula fight against Crusaders which include troops from various European countries including son of William I. of Normandie, Robert Courthose, and some British nobles. They face and fight against Kılıçarslan, Sultan of the Seljuk Turks. Courthose also participated the siege of Antioch. Then the crusaders faced Turks for the second time in Nicaepolis. Uzuncharsili, the Turkish historian, refers such encounters. The first friendly relation which has long-lasting influence on Anglo-Ottoman relationships started with Queen Elizabeth. However, before the friendly relations, there are few encounters between Turks and English which has not been investigated enough. The Mediterranean trade may have been a contact zone in Anglo-Turkish relationships where they did not only meet each other but also develop a form of interaction. This paper re-evaluates the process and deals with the encounters between Hospitaller and Turks in the Mediterranean.

Keywords

English and Turks, The Crusades, Hospitaller, Nicaepolis, and Knights of Rodeos

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