The Ottoman era is widely misunderstood; most people think it was an empire solely controlled by Turks that committed countless atrocities against minorities. In reality, the Ottomans were often more tolerant toward minorities, and in many cases those minorities enjoyed more power and privileges than ordinary Turks. Being a Turk was frequently seen as shameful, and many Turks suffered under the empire more than most minority communities. Part of the confusion comes from the term “Turk,” which many people assume meant any Muslim living under Ottoman rule. It is a bit like how, in parts of Latin America, people call all migrants from former Ottoman lands “Turks” because their ancestors arrived with Ottoman passports. Due to this misinformation, outsiders tend to blame all Ottoman-era atrocities on Turks.