Turks, Turkey, Turkiye and Turkish

Many of us have seen the familiar tall red Turkish hats called fez; we call them tarbus. Have you? The red fez signifies a Turk. P Ramlee used to adorn a tarbus and he would smile in the early Malay movies he made. Was he a descendant of the Turks? Have you also seen the swirling dervishes or heard about them? Did you also notice that these men swirl and could enter a trance? When they swirl, one hand is pointed upwards and the other downwards? Why? Have you heard about the Turkish soldiers fighting alongside the Sumatrans against the Dutch army? What about the Turkish graves in Aceh? Have you heard about Malay-Turkish people and mixed marriages? What about Turkish shop owners in this region? Have you heard of Turkish Mosque (Masjid Turki) in Western Australia?  What about the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul? Have you tasted Turkish Delights? There is also a Turkish family restaurant called Tarbus within the proximity of Billion Shopping Centre in Kota Bharu. How did the Turks happen to be in Malaya, Singapore, Sumatra and Australia? What happened in our history?

BBC News: In pictures: Istanbul, Spice Bazaar, swirling dervishes