Answer: The major trade routes connecting Europe and Asia passed through Ottoman territory.
Explanation: The Ottoman Empire, during most of its rule, was multinational, multi-religious and multilingual, controlling most of Southeastern Europe, parts of Central Europe, a considerable part of Asia, and North Africa. This fact led the Ottoman Empire to have a monopoly on the main trade routes of the then world. These trade routes connected Europe, with the Far East in Asia, the Middle East, and all of these paths went through the Ottoman Empire. Also, the Turks controlled the Eastern Mediterranean. In one word, the Ottoman Empire was the center of interaction between the Western and the Eastern worlds.
On the other hand, this monopoly over trading routes resulted in the encouragement and contribution of the Age of Discovery, as many seafarers sought new maritime routes to escape the Ottoman monopoly.