Hopefully this won't come across as controversial. For those of you who don't know, the Caliphate is a government type that's similar to both the Papacy and the original form of the Holy Roman Empire, in that its leader, the Caliph, is considered the political and religious successor to the Prophet Muhammad and leads the entire Muslim community/world. As an institution the Caliphate and the Caliph existed for nearly 1300 years, from the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632 to its abolishment by Turkey's first President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1924. So my question is this: what if President Kemel never abolished the Caliphate?
It could be because the Turkish Grand assembly refused to do so, because the British put pressure on the Turks to keep the institution alive (the Khilafat Movement, dedicated to preserving the Caliphate, was based in India and tried to get the British to intervene OTL) or because Kemel, despite his vocal criticism of the Ottoman dynasty and its Islamic orientation, is able to see the benefits of controlling such an important religious office and keeps it. The why doesn't really matter.
What would the long-term religious and political effects of a surviving Caliphate be for both Turkey and the Muslim world? Would it be beneficial to the middle east or cause more problems? Also, what about the Islamic terrorists? Would an existing Caliphate undercut some of their support or strengthen it because the Caliph is Turk? Please discuss!
It could be because the Turkish Grand assembly refused to do so, because the British put pressure on the Turks to keep the institution alive (the Khilafat Movement, dedicated to preserving the Caliphate, was based in India and tried to get the British to intervene OTL) or because Kemel, despite his vocal criticism of the Ottoman dynasty and its Islamic orientation, is able to see the benefits of controlling such an important religious office and keeps it. The why doesn't really matter.
What would the long-term religious and political effects of a surviving Caliphate be for both Turkey and the Muslim world? Would it be beneficial to the middle east or cause more problems? Also, what about the Islamic terrorists? Would an existing Caliphate undercut some of their support or strengthen it because the Caliph is Turk? Please discuss!