| Summary: | The term ‘Turkish Model’ became a catch phrase in the Western as well as the Muslim world following 9/11. During the Arab Spring, the idea was actively advocated by many in the West and the Middle East. Turkey as a modern Muslim democracy was actively promoted as a ‘model’ for the rest of the Muslim world. The land of Anatolia owing to its geographical location has served as a bridge across Islam and the West divide for centuries. The idea of the Turkish model is generally traced back to the late Ottoman era which was shaped by the impact of modern Europe on the Ottoman empire. The current study argues that in order to better understand the historical context of the idea of the Turkish model, the relationship between Islam, West and Anatolia prior to the advent of the modern age must be examined as European modernization itself has been largely shaped by the impact of the Muslim world on the West. The study presents an extensive historical overview of Islam and the West encounter, their confrontation, cooperation and the historical role of Anatolia as a melting pot of the two contending civilizations.
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