In Aceh, which still exists as a region of Indonesia, there was once a state called Aceh Sultanate, which was the largest Muslim country in the region. There is an ongoing friendship story between the Turks and the Aceh Sultanate, which wanted to become a province of the Ottoman Empire in order not to be invaded and received great help.
Even if we do not know many of them, in fact, numerous states, large and small, have been established in many different parts of the world throughout history. One of them, the Aceh Sultanate, continues to exist as a special region within the borders of Indonesia today, even though it has ceased to exist officially. Aceh Sultanate during the existence of the state, It was one of the largest Muslim countries in the region.
What makes Aceh Sultanate the subject of this article is the historical friendship between them and the Turks. Even today, when you talk to someone from Aceh, they say Turks are considered our ancestors because the Ottoman Empire sent aid to this region for a long time and even Aceh Sultanate wanted to become an Ottoman province. Continuing the struggle for independence today History of Aceh Sultanate in Aceh lands Let’s take a closer look.
What is Aceh Sultanate, when was it founded, where?
Aceh Sultanate, in a region on the coast of the Indian Ocean within the borders of today’s Indonesia It is a state founded in 1514. The country, which was ruled by a sultanate, was tried to be occupied first by Sumatra and then by the Portuguese due to its natural resources. In the following years, the Dutch dominated the region.
The Aceh Sultanate, which was exploited by the Netherlands for many years, finally In 1903, it gave up and accepted to become a Dutch colony. In the following years, the administration of the region was transferred to Indonesia. In 1976, an armed organization called Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, or Free Aceh Movement, was established for the struggle for independence.
The people of Aceh had to become refugees due to the violence and terrorist incidents. The people wanted a referendum for independence. but the Indonesian government opposed it. Aceh region suffered greatly from the tsunami disaster in 2004 and the biggest aid was sent by the Red Crescent. Today, the Aceh people still struggle for independence.
Let’s come to the relationship between the Aceh Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire:
With the elimination of the Mamluk State after Yavuz Sultan Selim’s Egypt expedition, In 1517, the caliphate, that is, the leadership of the Muslims, passed to us. and Ottoman sultans also started to use the title of caliph. During the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire established relations with the Islamic state in every part of the world. Aceh Sultanate is one of these countries.
In fact, it was the people of Aceh who started this relationship. When the danger of occupation of the region by the Portuguese emerged, the Aceh Sultanate He sent a delegation to the Ottoman Empire and asked for help. Even an agreement was signed between the two states. The Ottomans sent soldiers, weapons and aid materials to the region during and after this period.
Aceh Sultanate was gradually crushed under Dutch pressure. In 1851, they applied to the Ottoman Empire and requested to become a province. This offer was evaluated, but since the Ottoman Empire was losing power at that time, it was rejected in order not to attract the reaction of the western states.
So, why did the Ottomans send aid to this small state across the ocean?
Of course, there will be those who do not believe in this relationship established between the Ottoman Empire and the Aceh Sultanate. So let’s take a look at the experts’ opinion. Southeast Asian historian Anthony Reid He says that the Ottomans sent aid to protect the Muslims in this region in two different periods. In one of these, a military operation was carried out, and in the other in 1560, maritime trade was intervened in order to keep Europeans away from the region. Weapons and ammunition were also provided when soldiers were not sent.
Zuhuri Danışman shares another information on the subject. According to the Consultant, the people of Aceh often received help from the Turks because Upon the suggestion of Egyptian Governor Eunuch Suleiman Pasha In 1530, an Ottoman navy was deployed to Suez. This navy was in charge of the Indian Ocean. In other words, the Turks were not sending aid to a place beyond the ocean, they were already there.
Even more interesting is that A Turkish village was established in the Aceh Sultanate. Even today, there is still a Turkish cemetery in the area. Some of those buried in the cemetery are our soldiers who were martyred there during the conflict, and some of our ancestors who lost their lives after they settled there.
No more, let’s say that the Aceh Sultanate is Turkish, so that it is complete:
Of course, Aceh Sultanate is not Turkish for a racist who evaluates nations according to the size of their skulls, but let’s ask them. BBC correspondent George Alagiah, who went to the region during the tsunami disaster in 2004, He thinks he has come to Turkey. Because wherever he looks, the Turkish flag appears before him. When he wondered about this and asked a young person, the answer he got was interesting.
Asked by George Alagiah The young man from Aceh is named Recep and he wears a hat with the Turkish flag on it. Achilles wear the Turkish national team uniform in their matches and hang the Turkish flag on their houses because their flag is considered a crime by the Indonesian government. The following sentences of Aceli Recep are like the clearest answer to the question of whether the Aceh Sultanate is Turkish; ‘The Turkish flag is the same as ours… Turks are considered our ancestors anyway, we got our flag from them 500 years ago.’
So how is Aceh today, does the Aceh Sultanate still exist?
Aceh Sultanate after the decision of the Aceh Sultan Tunku Muhammed Davut In 1903, the Netherlands accepted its sovereignty and the official existence of the state ceased. However, the people of Aceh continue to struggle for independence with the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka movement they founded in 1976. The public wants a referendum on whether the region should belong to Indonesia, but the Indonesian government opposes it.
If you ask how is Aceh today, the answer is hidden in the natural resources of the region. Aceh lands are one of the richest lands in terms of uranium, oil, natural gas, rubber, coffee, chocolate, palm oil and paddy. In today’s world where democracy is distributed by changing continents for a handful of oil The Aceh people, who are mostly Muslims, continue to be persecuted just like the Uyghur Turks, Iraqi Turks, and Arakan Muslims, since it is of course not desirable for a country with such rich lands to be independent.
who accepted the Turks as their ancestors and Talking about the story of the Aceh Sultanate, which wanted to become an Ottoman province, We took a look at the history of this small but influential country. A little brainstorming never hurt anyone. If the Ottoman Empire accepted the Aceh Sultanate as a province, what would the situation of Aceh and even our country be today?