The Turks, like the Romans before them, did not originate at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The Turks hail from what is now post-Soviet Central Asia, migrating to the Sea of Marmara's southern coast about the time of the Mongol invasions of the Middle East and Europe. Stratfor begins its assessment of Turkey at the Sea of Marmara because, until the Turks secured it — most famously and decisively in May 1453 with the capture of Constantinople — they were simply one of many groups fighting for control of the region. This consolidation took more than 150 years, but with it, the Turks transformed themselves from simply another wave of Asian immigrants into something more — a culture that could be a world power. Core Geography Modern Turkey straddles the land bridge linking southeastern-most Europe with southwestern-most Asia.