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The turks used to be a mercenary group but after the Battle of Manzikert (1071) they advanced into western Anotolia in the Byzantine Empire. They finally overthrew the Byzantine Empire in 1453, reclaiming the territories as the Ottoman Empire and renaming the capital to Istanbul.
The Turks introduced an administrative system called the devshirme and began work on building a Janissary military– meaning they took young boys and trained them from a very young age to fight for the sultan. The Turks also established a court to settle differences between religions.
The empire itself acted as the middleman across Anatolia. All trade passed through them.
After the Mongols devastated a large amount of Muslim territories, the Turks took over these territories and made them ethnically diverse.
As a result of all of this, a heavy Islamic presence settled across Eastern Europe but never Western Europe.
The Ottoman Empire was really good for trade as it set up multiple hospitality buildings across the trade routes, ensuring safety for travelers. European's wanting to avoid middlemen merchants actually encouraged more Western exploration.