Kesik believes the Turks’ spread through Anatolia began after this battle, reaching the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey’s present capital. However, the Seljuks could not impose control over some areas, including Trabzon and its surroundings, because of repeated attacks by Armenians and Byzantines who had agreed to expel them from Anatolia.
The principal reason for Suleiman Shah’s arrival in Anatolia was the opportunity created by the death of his uncle Alp Arslan, who had captured him and his brothers Mansur, Alp Ilik and Dawlat in 1072. He escaped with a large group of Khorasan Turks toward Anatolia and made Konya the Seljuk capital after conquering it. The article gives the year of Konya’s conquest as 1977. It remained the capital until Iznik, on the outskirts of Bursa, was conquered.
The Seljuk state became so powerful that Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaneiates sought its military help against his rival Nikephoros Bryennios, who claimed the right to the Byzantine imperial throne in Anatolia.
This was a golden opportunity for Suleiman to take control of large parts of Anatolia in exchange for helping Botaneiates against Bryennios. He gained extensive territories near the Sea of Marmara and in central Anatolia.
The Seljuk state conquered Anatolia and helped bring the Turks there. In an article in the history magazine Derin Tarih, Turkish historian Muharrem Kesik argues that the presence of Turks in Anatolia today is entirely attributable to the Seljuk state.
In his article “Suleiman Shah, Conqueror of Anatolia,” Kesik states that the Seljuk state was founded by Seljuk Bey in Central Asia on May 23, 1040, and brought large parts of Central Asia under its control. He then describes the third sultan, Suleiman Shah, setting out for Anatolia in 1077 to conquer it.
Anatolia’s strong defenses prevented several of Suleiman’s attempts from succeeding until he entered it in 1077 and conquered several towns. The article says he continued his efforts to conquer Anatolia until his victory at the Battle of Manzikert in 1086.