Battle of Otlukbeli 1473: Sultan Mehmed II defeats Uzun Hasan

On this day, August 11, 1473, Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror defeated the Turkomen confederacy of the Aq Qoyunlu (white sheep) led by Uzun Hasan in the battle of Otlukbeli.

Uzun was Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror's main adversary in eastern Anatolia. His battle with Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II was unavoidable due to his collaboration with Christian countries and his role in the Karaman throne war.

When a battle for the throne of Karaman erupted in 1464, Uzun Hasan stepped in. The emir of Karaman died, leaving six sons by an Ottoman Princess and one son by a different mother, Ishak. Uzun Hasan intervened and installed Ishak as emir to prevent a relative of Mehmed II from ascending to the Karamanid throne.

Mehmed led a small army to Karaman and deposed Ishak, putting his own cousin, Pir Ahmed, on the throne. Simultaneously, Uzun sent an envoy to Venice, suggesting an anti-Ottoman alliance. This proposition was approved by Venice, leaving Mehmed facing an alliance of Venice and Hungary in the west and Uzun Hasan in the east.

Mehmed seized the western section of Karaman, centred on Konya, in 1468. After the Ottoman takeover of Karaman, Uzun Hasan's policy became increasingly forceful. Uzun Hasan, now king of Iran as well as eastern Anatolia, had become an equally dreadful foe as Timur. Uzun's armies attacked and ravaged much of Anatolia in 1472.

The conflict between Mehmed and Uzun Hasan was unavoidable, with the issue being who would rule Karaman. As a result, Uzun Hasan and Mehmed met in 1473 in the Battle of Otlukbeli. Sultan Mehmed II won the battle and consolidated his dominance throughout Anatolia.