Since these years, the Byzantine had to pay attention to the Balkans. The events that had posed a threat for the fate of the state were the rebellions and revolutions that burst out successively in the European side of the empire, the Bulgarian rebellion in 1074, the Nestor rebellion in 1075, the epidemics and the great poverty in 1076, the rebellion of Nikephoros Bryennios in 1077, the capture of several regions by him, and his approach to the borders of Istanbul upon his declaration stating that he was the emperor.

Turks who got the benefit of the situations continued their invasions in Anatolia. It was estimated that the basin between Yesilirmak and Kelkit was conquered by Artuk Bey. It has been understood that the Eastern Karahisar and Erzincan and the environs of Divrigi were invaded by Mengucuk and the region of Erzurum and Coruh excluding the city was invaded by Ebu'l-Kasım. Artuk Bey captured Sivas, Tokat and the environs of Corum. Then, he departed from Anatolia in 1077 in order to go to the region of el-Ahsa upon the order of Sultan Melikshah as we have stated before. When Artuk Bey came to this region and started his conquests, he had captured all the environs of Danishmend, Niksar and the lower Yesilirmak region, in other words, he had captured Amasya and opened the environs of this city towards the coasts. On the other hand, a ruler named as Gümüstegin defeated the Greek armies in Nizip, Amid and within the environs of Urfa. This person must probably have been Gumustegin Candar who was one of the commanders of Melikshah. At the same time, Alasehir was conquered together with the cities in the region of Phrykja and Turks started to appear on the coasts of the Aegean Sea. The monastery that was located on the hill of Latros near Milet was abandoned due to Turks.

The failures of the Byzantine Empire had their terrible effects in Anatolia. Since the Greek commanders in all the regions were dispersed excluding the region of Mesopotamia (the southern Euphrates region), There was not any regular Byzantine army in Anatolia. According to the contemporary Greek historian of that period, "there was not any active military forces" in this detachment. The General N. Botaniates who was the commander of the Anatolik (the region of Konya) team got the benefit of these circumstances. He planned to advance against the helpless emperor Mikhael VII and his greedy minister, Nikephoris and he started to spread this plan by propaganda. He achieved a lot of supporters among the people in Istanbul, even among the senate members and the religious leaders.

When General Botaniates put his works right, the cunning Nikephoris were trying to annihilate Botaniates that he was suspicious of although he was not aware of his secret activities. To this effect, he again resorted to Turks and made an agreement with Suleymanshah about his capture and annihilation. Until that time, Suleymanshah had captured Konya from the Byzantine governor named as Martavkosta, and then, he had invaded Gevele Castle located within the surroundings of the region and took it from Romanos Makri (1077). Then, he attempted to conquer all the important cities in the Western Anatolia. Suleymanshah waylaid in all the passages and roads from which Botaniates would possible pass. Upno these developments, the rebellious general gave up using the main roads since Kutahya (Kotyaion) and he advanced to the coasts of Sakarya from the complicated paths on the mountains and then, he came to Iznik (Nicaea) swiftly.

The Turkish vanguards caught up him near Iznik and they attempted to detain him and to gain time until the main army came. Botaniates who was subjected to the danger of being crushed between these two forces was helpless, and he had no other chance but to apply to Suleymanshah. Suleymanshah was the leader of the Turkish forces who were assigned with the charge of the conquest of Anatolia. Therefore, it was so natural for Suleymanshah to get the benefit of misfortune of his enemy. It was necessary for him to incite the civil turmoils among the Byzantine administrators and to increase the miserable conditions of the army of their enemy. Suleymanshah performed this duty through supporting either the revolutionaries or the government. Therefore, he received kindly Khrisoskul who was sent as a mediator by Botaniates. Furthermore, He gave permission to the rebellious general to advance towards Istanbul freely and he also gave him a strong detachment of Turks in order to provide he safety of his movement. Botaniates advanced towards the capital city of the Byzantine over Iznik.

Upon these news, a movement for revolution burst out in S. Sophia through the instigations of the patriarch Aemilianus and this movement got widespread all over the city of Istanbul. Nikephoris ran away. The Emperor Mikhael wanted to withdraw from the throne and leave it to his brother, Konstantinos since he was afraid of saving his life. But Konstantinos did not accept this offer, and together with Aleksios Komnenos, he joined Botaniates that waited in Kadikoy (Chalcedon). The crown of the Byzantine Empire that was left out of any possessor since there was not anybody who would be entitled for the enthronement in Istanbul, Nikephoros Botaniates was crowned who had come to the coasts of Bosphorus under the protection of Turks (3rd April 1078).

Therefore, Turks had invaded the region of Btihynia including particularly the city of Izmit. According to the Byzantine historian-Komnenos I' daughter- Anna Komnena, the entire Anatolia between the Black Sea and the Straits of Dardanelles, the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Adalia and Adana were under the dominion of Seljuk State. Some of the Turkish forces had established garrisons in the region. The troubles of the Byzantine did not come to an end upon the enthronement of the new emperor in Istanbul. The emperor had to deal with the general N. Bryennios who had declared himself as the emperor and was occupied in the destruction of the Balkans turning it upside down. It is interesting that while Seljuk Turks helped to Botaniates in Anatolia, Pecenek Turks were the principal forces that Bryennios relied on in the Balkans. Pecenek people who had besieged Adrianople in 1050 and increased their pressures in the Thrace got the benefit of the situation of the Byzantine just like the people of the same race in Anatolia and they intervened in the internal affairs of this state. There were some Pecenek warriors with a significant amount and other "Turks" (Turkmens) within the army of N. Bryennios.

Aleksios was sent against this renegade. But the emperor Botaniates who did not rely on the Byzantine soldiers were able to provide new support from his protector, Kutalmisogullari principality. Although the Byzantine was on the verge of defeat in the war of Calabria between Aleksios and Bryennios, the forces of Suleymanshah came just in time and they changed the fate of the war. Seljuk cavalrymen attacked from three branches and they took Bryennios as prisoner. As it can be observed, the Byzantine that was subject to separate Turkish pressures from Anatolia and the Balkans was nearly being destroyed in convulsion. However, Europe had anticipated this future of the Byzantine before. Pursuant to the Manzikert war, the Pope VII Gregorius had perceived the results of the penetration of Turks into Anatolia without any pains in respect of Christianity with sensitivity. The Pope wrote a letter to the Byzantine emperor on the date of 9th July 1073. In this letter, he stated that it was the right time to establish an agreement between the Orthodox and Catholic churches and upon the permission of Mikhael, he published his famous letters dated 2nd February and 1st March 1073 in which he addressed to all the Christians. Gregorius had explained the "dangerous" advance of Turks in his invitation that was considered as the first alarm of the Crusades. In these letters, he alleged with a severe language that the Muslims were "slaughtering the Christians just like the herds of sheep", and he declared the necessity for the support and help to the Greek empire against Turks in order to save their religious brothers. This alarm did not create the desired effect because of a conflict between the Pope and the Roman-German emperor, Henri IV.

When the trouble of Byrennios occurred, Suleymanshah and Mansur, his brother with whom he worked together without any interruption had considered themselves as the possessor of the Anatolia towards the Bosphorus. In order to finish their conquest, they sent the Turkmen beys and chiefs from the environs of Kutahya that was their headquarters to the western and northern Anatolia. Meanwhile, there was an incident that necessitated the intervention of the Sultan Melikshah: The members of Kutalmisogullari principality were on strained terms due to the case of presidency. Mansur who was defeated ran away to Istanbul. Melikshah who learned this situation from Suleymanshah sent an envoy to the Byzantine and wanted the extradition of the fugitive. But in those days, Mansur had returned to Anatolia and restarted its struggle against his brother. In order to resolve the disputes between the brothers, Sultan send Porsuk who was one of his famous commanders to Anatolia and Mansur died in the war. When the dispute was resolved, all the Turkmen tribes in Anatolia were under the command of Suleymanshah excluding the Turkmen beys that joined to the retinue of Tutus. Therefore, Melikshah had given him the firman of "emirate" in Anatolia, and pursuant to this entitlement, Suleymanshah had become the only ruler of Anatolia. Furthermore, Abbasi Caliph had sent flag and robe of honour to Suleymanshah and granted him with the title of "Nasir'ud-devle Ebu'l-fevaris". Suleymanshah had been entitled with the title of Ghazi since he had not carried out any conquest in the non-Muslim places.

Therefore, Nâsır'üd-devle Ebu'l-fevâris Ghazi Süleymanshah who had centralised his domination all over the region started to expand his conquests with a centralised, systematic and quicker manner towards the coasts of the Black Sea on one hand and towards the Mediterranean and the Agean Seas on the other hand. The Byzantine suffered from the rebellions that followed one after the other in that period. General Basilakis had rebelled, and Aleksios caught him in the Vardar battle and his eyes were burnt out. Then, the General Konstantinos Dukas had declared himself as the emperor and he had also rebelled. The Emperor had suppressed this rebellion through the monetary means and the promises. Pursuant to this rebellion, the revolution of N. Melissenos that burst out enabled the Turks to settle easily in Anatolia extending towards the coasts of the Sea of Marmara.

to be continued