Battle of Otlukbeli

The Battle of Otlukbeli or Otluk Beli was a battle between Ak Koyunlu and the Ottoman Empire that was fought on August 11, 1473.

Battle of Otlukbeli
Part of the Ottoman-Aq Qoyunlu wars
Date 11 August 1473 Location Otlukbeli, Erzincan Result Decisive Ottoman victory[1]
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Aq Qoyunlu
Commanders and leaders
Mehmet II Mustafa (prince) Bayezid II (prince)[2] Davud Pasha[3]	Uzun Hasan Ughurlu Muhammad Zayn-al-Abidin bin Ahmed
Strength
70,000 - 100,000[4]	80,000 - 110,000[4]
Casualties and losses
1,000[5]	20,000 - 34,000[5]

Reasons for the conflict

Mehmed the Conqueror's aggressive military policy in capturing the throne of the Byzantine Empire resulted in the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Independent Byzantine Greek rulers continued to rule in some areas after this event. One of these domains was the Empire of Trebizond. When Mehmed turned to the East to clean up the remnants of Byzantine rule in 1461, he was faced with the Ak Koyunlu, a tribe that ruled huge lands in the Eastern Anatolia.

Their leader, Uzun Hasan, continued the tradition of close relations between the Byzantine throne and his own kingdom so he supported the Empire of Trebizond and sent them military aid but his support wasn't enough to save Trebizond from the Ottoman forces. Mehmed II conquered all of the Eastern Black Sea region. Uzun Hasan decided to seek help from Christian powers because he thought that the Ottomans would return for his own kingdom. Therefore, he decided to sign a treaty with the Republic of Venice, the rival of the Ottoman Empire at that time.

In response to Uzun Hasan's treaty with Venice, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror first sent various Janissary contingents, commanded by various figures including Radu cel Frumos, these contingents guarded crucial garrisons and awaited the Ottoman onslaught on the Anatolian opposition.

Another reason for tensions between Ak Koyunlu and Ottomans was the political standing of another powerful Anatolian tribe, Karamanids. Kasım Bey, the ruler of Karamanids, was supporting the growing power of Uzun Hasan. These two powers were working in cooperation against the Ottoman advance in Anatolia. In 1471, a successful Ottoman operation against Karamanids reduced the power of the tribe.

Battle

Mehmed II returned with his army in 1473 to defeat Uzun Hasan. The Turcomans had a traditional army that contained considerable amounts of light cavalry. On the other hand, the Ottoman army was using the latest technology. They came with handguns and cannons. This difference between the natures of the two armies marked the result of the battle. The Ottoman side gained a decisive victory, whereas the Turcoman army was nearly destroyed in a single day.

Aftermath

Ottomans nearly destroyed the power of the Ak Koyunlu in the East. Ak Koyunlu would be destroyed completely by Shah Ismail of Iran in later years. This victory of the Safavid Empire would create a new enemy for the Ottoman Empire in the East. The race between the two empires ended with the fall of the Safavid dynasty from power in the 18th century.

See also

• Battle of Otlukbeli Martyrs' Monument

References

1. Somel, Selçuk Akşin, Historical dictionary of the Ottoman Empire, (Scarecrow Press Inc., 2003), xc.
2. Babinger, Franz (1992). Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time. Princeton University Press. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-691-01078-6. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
3. Har-El, Shai (1995). Struggle for domination in the Middle East: the Ottoman-Mamluk War, 1485-91. BRILL. p. 149. ISBN 978-90-04-10180-7. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
4. Diyanet İslam Ansiklopedisi, Otlukbeli Maddesi,Erhan Afyoncu c.34, s.5
5. Franz Babinger, Fatih Sultan Mehmet ve Zamanı, çev. Dost Körpe, Oğlak Yayınları, İstanbul 2003