The Conquest of Trabzon was one of the significant turning points in Turkish history. Fatih Sultan Mehmet shattered the last hopes of the Byzantine rulers and successfully completed his crucial campaign for the Turkification of Anatolia, despite numerous challenges. But what about the events leading up to it? When did the Turkic raids along the Black Sea coast first occur? Who were the key Turkish figures that played a pivotal role in Fatih's conquest of Trabzon in 1461?
During his campaign to conquer Trabzon in 1461, Fatih Sultan Mehmet initially captured Koyulhisar and advanced towards the vicinity of Erzincan. He set up a camp in the Yassı-çemen plateau, which was a day's march away from the Erzincan plain. On his way to Trabzon, instead of following the well-known routes, Fatih divided his army when he reached the Kelkit region. He himself proceeded from the east, while his vizier Mahmud Pasha advanced from the west to besiege Trabzon. The reason for choosing these challenging routes, according to Fatih, was to potentially receive guidance and assistance from the settled Çepni Turkmen tribes in the highlands of the region when needed. Mahmud Pasha, who preferred a more difficult path to reach Trabzon from the west, also received support from the Çepni Turkmen tribes. The fact that it was August 1461 is a point on which there is a consensus.
Following the conquest by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han, the Eastern Black Sea region, which joined the Ottoman Empire, was organized as a sanjak (administrative district) subordinate to the Rum Province. The center of this sanjak was Trabzon city, and it came to be known by this name. During the Ottoman period, Trabzon was initially administered as a province and sanjak by princes (şehzade) and governors (mutasarrıflar). The first sanjak bey (governor) was Hızır Bey.