Throughout my childhood, we read and realized why the Ottoman Empire collapsed, the backwardness of Islamic countries and how colonialist states exploited the world of Muslims one by one and ruined the cultures of our countries. The wealth of the decolonized Arab countries in the '50s and '60s, the expenditures of the kings, the luxurious lives of youngsters there or the shares of the multinationals they bought in the Western stock markets were among our favorite topics. We were well aware that this wealth did not play a role in the development of such countries, nor put them in competition with the West.

Malaysia was one of the few countries in the Islamic world that could establish a balanced state order while adopting technology early on, nourishing its people, developing international trade and increasing its national income.

The country, whose income was not only based on oil and a well-operated democracy but also set harmony between traditional kingdoms and democracy, gradually began to attract the attention of the Islamic world and the West.

Türkiye: Rising star of Islamic world

Since the days of our childhood with that painful reading, many new countries and ideas emerged in the Islamic world. We are, of course, proud of the emergence of Türkiye as a rising star of Islam among these countries.

Today, Türkiye and Malaysia rely on non-oil resources and technology, growing gradually with their developed middle class and have established critical infrastructures from academics to the defense industry.

When we met Malaysian officials and sat down with them, it was surprising and striking to see how close they keep abreast of Türkiye, how deeply they wonder about the results of the upcoming elections, and how eager they are to talk about the latest developments in Turkish politics.

Of course, wherever you go in the Islamic world today, everyone is curious about the upcoming elections in Türkiye, and Islamic countries are waiting for it more than other countries.

Interestingly, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has connected not only with the electorate in Türkiye but also with the broad masses in the Islamic world. Many Muslims all around the globe today are as curious about Erdoğan's success in the upcoming election as we are.

From the great-grandfather to the grandson

During our visit to Malaysia last week, we had the opportunity to visit the sultan of Johor, His Excellency Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. The sultan is the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor.

In general, kings in countries lead reclusive lives. But the sultan of Johor draws an extraordinary portrait of a king who, on the one hand, carries out his daily routine as a king, is interested in sports like Polo, racing, and cars; and on the other hand, has a well-developed social side.

Sultan Ibrahim, who paid a post-quake trip to Türkiye and visited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Beştepe Presidential Complex earlier last month, is as curious about the elections in Türkiye as everyone else. We had intellectual discussions with the sultan on Turkish politics.

The great-great-grandfather of Sultan Ibrahim, the late Sultan Abu Bakar al-Khalil, came to Istanbul in 1879 and met Sultan Abdulhamid II. During his visit, Sultan Abu Bakar was awarded Nishan-i Osmani, the top Ottoman insignia, by Sultan Abdülhamid.

Sultan Abdülhamid also introduced Rukiye Hanım, a Circassian lady from the palace who companied Sultan Abu Bakar back home and married the sultan’s brother Ungku Abdulmecid. So Rukiye Hanim was included in the Johor royal family. It was not a simple marriage of its time. It tied the two countries to each other. The brotherly bonds made by Sultan Abdülhamid and Sultan Abu Bakar by then continue today.

Something that makes us proud is the realization that Türkiye's state power, success in diplomacy, and several fields, especially in the defense industry, are followed closely, acknowledged and appreciated by the outside world at least as much as we do. It is impressive to hear from Malaysian officials the success stories written in Türkiye over the last decades. They know Türkiye's progress better than many in our country.

A unique car museum

Besides many of his virtues, the sultan of Johor has an unbelievable collection of cars. Enthusiasts usually gather items without being fully aware of the technicalities of what they collect. However, the sultan of Johor is an enthusiast who knows all the technical details of his trove, all the cars, years of manufacture, qualities, and everything about them.

Each of the cars works as if they are new. Their batteries are charged, and the vehicles are neat, well-maintained and ready for service. The collection is closed to visitors but designed almost like a tourist exhibit. It would not be an exaggeration to call this collection a car museum. There is probably no other place in the world where one can come across so many different cars together in the same arena.

While we were saddened by reading about the deplorable situation of Islamic countries during our childhood days, there is a justified pride in sitting at a table as children of two developed countries now. From the Far East, from Malaysia, Türkiye looks developed, grown and increased its influence in the Islamic world politically, strengthened its influence on Turkic states, and at the same time, as a state that is influential in global politics.

Most of the time I am abroad, I realize that Türkiye's power and potential are often not seen so clearly within the country in the vicious political debates of opposing sides. When viewed from afar, Turkish politics, Türkiye's power and the influence of Erdoğan appear more robust in the Far East.