TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Reform and the final era
Also known as: Şark Meselesi
The name given to the rivalry of the European powers over the future of the Ottoman lands.
The term is well established in European languages (the Eastern Question, die Orientalische Frage), and Turkish historians often define it as the question of “driving the Turks out of Europe”. From the late 18th century to the First World War, Balkan revolts, the Straits and the partition of Ottoman territory were all debated under this heading.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “ŞARK MESELESİ” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.