Ottoman Venice

An ottoman ship carrying Ottoman governors to Holy Mecca was pirated during the reign of Ibrahim I. The governors prisoned in Crete by the Malta pirates. Consequently, the Ottoman army captured Crete’s harbour, Hania , which was the beginning of the Ottoman-Venice wars in 1645. The island was not completely conquered for long years. The Ottomans besieged Kandiya several times and the Venetian navy besieged the Dardanelles. Unfortunately, Crete became an Ottoman- Holy League struggle with the aids of Spain and France under the command of the Pope.

After the long and exhausting struggles Crete was conquered by Koprulu Fazil Ahmet Pasha in 1689 which strengthened Ottoman’s sovereignty in the Mediterranean.

Koprulu Era

The Grand-viziers of the Koprulu family ruled the Ottoman empire more than 40 years, instuting military reforms with their ruthless ambition. In order to prevent the corruption of the empire Mehmet IV appointed Koprulu Mehmet Pasha as the grand-vizier.

Pasha offered some conditions which were all accepted by Mehmet IV.

-All suggestions about the administration should be accepted by the sultan

-No pressure on appointments or dismissals in the government

- Not to believe the rumours about the viziers

- In case of any complaint, no treatment should be done without noting his defence

40.000 opponents were executed against Koprulu’s new regime. During the era they made military success in Crete and Austria enlarging the borders for the last time in Ottoman history