Turkish Historian: The Habsburg Family Planted the Seeds of Islamophobia in Europe

SadaNews - Turkish writer and historian Gokhan Goktas addressed the historical roots of European animosity towards Muslims in an article published by the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak, asserting that the Habsburg family solidified this animosity during their conflict with the Ottoman Empire.

The writer notes that the Habsburg dynasty originated in Switzerland and ruled a vast part of Europe without resorting to war, thanks to marriages based on kinship.

He continued that the expansion of the Habsburgs began with Rudolf I in 1240 AD, and the family managed to rule Germany, Spain, Austria, and the Roman Empire before engaging in a conflict with the Ottoman Empire.

The Greatest Threat

Amid this conflict, the image of the Ottoman Turks formed as the greatest threat in the European imagination, which is the historical framework that shaped the roots of the phenomena of Islamophobia and Turkophobia in contemporary Europe, according to the writer.

Goktas believes that the roots of the animosity towards Turkey are not limited to major historical battles such as Manzikert and the conquest of Constantinople, but are more clearly crystallized within the framework of the struggle between the Ottomans and the ruling Habsburg family in Europe.

The writer clarified that the emergence of Protestantism in Europe coincided with the peak of the Ottoman Empire's rise and its fierce struggle with the Habsburg family, which considered itself the protector of Catholicism - worked to reinforce the image of the Ottomans who supported Protestants and their activities in Europe as "the infidels coming from the east".

The writer recalled what historical references say about Ogier de Busbecq - the Habsburg ambassador to the Ottoman state during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent - when he described the Ottomans saying: "The Turk roars around our borders like a fierce lion, and he attempts to enter our lands from here and there. "

"The Turkish Danger"

When Ottoman forces crossed the Kanije area in 1591 AD, panic spread, church bells rang, and Christians were requested to pray for divine assistance to repel the "savage Turks".

The Habsburg family presented itself as the protector of Catholicism and Christianity throughout Europe - according to the writer - and promoted in its political propaganda that if the "Turkish danger" crossed its borders, the Ottomans would not only attack Catholics but also eradicate Protestants, making the confrontation with the Ottomans a fateful war for Christians across Europe.

The writer states that the "Turkish danger" transformed into a political tool in the hands of the Habsburg family, linking it to their expansionist projects towards Hungary and their ambition to control the legacy of Rome in the Christian world.

He adds that by the 18th century, the European imagination no longer viewed the confrontation with the Ottomans as merely a struggle between two empires, but as a war between two identities: the Muslim East and the Christian West.

Fear of the Turks

The writer believes that the Ottoman-Austrian wars extending from the Balkans to Europe significantly contributed to the formation of Islamophobia and the fear of the Turks at the cultural level, which is reflected in the famous Slovenian saying "No wars, no Turks, no plague", meaning that the Turkish identity was associated in their minds with death and destruction.

The writer explains that this collective anti-Turkish consciousness, which portrays them as uncivilized people and enemies of Christianity, spread throughout Europe, reinforced by literary and historical works.

The writer affirms that instilling animosity towards the Ottomans paved the way for the success of the Habsburg family in their project of expansion and dominance, which extended from Central Europe to the Balkans.

The historical irony - according to the writer - is that this family, which spread the fear of the Ottomans, is the same one behind the Western exploitation of Africa's, India's, and the Americas' resources and the enslavement of their peoples for centuries.

The writer concludes that Islamophobia and Turkophobia, which began in that era, continue to this day in the Western world, still fueling its expansionist ambitions.