Although Turks had mostly established relations with the Shiite Iranians within the cultural environment of Islam, most of them were Sunnite people. Actually, the Sunnite Islam that was not much related with the Iranian traditions included a reason that was in compliance with the Turkish thought and understanding at the same time. Turks had adopted the “Hanafi” branch that was one of the four branches of Sunni Islam. The reason for the adoption of this branch was that this sect recognised the will in the human being and it provided opportunities for proving the holy orders through mind and reasonable evidence. Some of its legal principles were founded to have been executed within the Turkish environments in Transoxania according to Ebû Mansûr’ul-Mâturîdî (died in 944) from Samarkand that was supposed to have Turkish origin.s. Therefore, the Hanafi sect enabled the adoptation of the Islamic legal order to therequirements of the time and conditions. Due to these characteristics, the Hanafi branch was a realistic order and its level of applicability was so high. In addition to this situation that was considered fairly satisfactory in respect of the mentality about Turkish states, the Abbasi caliphs had represented the same sect. This situation had also reinforced the relations between the Islamic Turkish states and the caliphate. Therefore, Abbasi caliph was interested in the emergence of Seljuk rulers in the stage of policy in Khorasan and he had tried to find a communication means with them immediately. In the first penetration of Tugrul Bey to Nisabur (1038), the caliph El-Kaaim had sent an envoy to the Seljuk people. This envoy had undertaken the task of the warning about the Turkmens not to cause any destruction in the region according to the resources. However, the main purpose of the caliph that had sent an envoy in the course of the ongoing destruction all around the country was obvious. As a matter of fact, the Seljuk conquests expanded and the power of the state had influenced the entire Iran. Therefore, the Shiite Buveyhi people that were afraid of Seljuks increased their pressures over Baghdad and its environs. Upon these events, the caliph had personally invited the Seljuk sultan to Baghdad. This invitation also shows the same purpose. Therefore, the struggle with the Shiah Islam and its branches had come into existence as one of the main principles of the Seljuk policy.

There was not a contradiction between the “religious tolerance” in the state and the opposition to the Shiah Islam. Actually, the Shiah Islam had attained a political quality since the periods of its emergence. In the 11th century, Fatimi State used this sect as the most powerful instrument in order to bring discord and turmoil in the Sunnite Islamic countries upon the material and spiritual support of this Shiite state. The Shiite Buveyhi State (932-1055) that had established dominion in Iraq and southern Iran had also established domination and oppression over the Abbasi caliphs. This situation disturbed most of the eastern-Muslim people with the great majority of Sunnite people. Furthermore, these Shiite people had benefited from the government and they were concentrated on the activities for the diffusion of Shiah Islam in the same countries. All these activities totally increased the anxiety and disturbance among the Sunnite environments that could not compromise with the Shiite people in respect of the religious faiths. Arslan’ul-Besâsîrî who was the famous Buveyhi commander of the period was an extremist Shiite who could collaborate with the Fatimi State at any time. There were several Shiite (Rafizi) groups that had some activities under various names all over the country of Iran. According to the famous author named as Abd’ul-Kaahir Bağdadî (died in 1038), the number of these sects was more than 70. In order to eliminate this discrimination that was one of the sources of great anguish and misery among the people, Sultan Tugrul Bey who abolished the Buveyhi State was declared as the “Ruler of the East and the West” in a ceremony organised in Baghdad by the caliph. This declaration was merely the official confirmation of the religious policy of Seljuk State by the caliphate.

The victory of the Seljuk State that dismissed the Fatimi State from the east was therefore the victory of the Sunni Islam by nature. From that date on, the Seljuk rulers had considered the union of the Islamic world under the flag of Sunni Islam as one of their principal targets. Pursuant to Tugrul Bey, Sultan Alp Arslan would deliver prayers in his name and the name of El-Kaaim in Mecca and Medina and he enforced the Sunni Islam in respect of knowledge and thoughts with the Nizamiye Muslim theological schools that he had constructed in Baghdad and in the other important centres. On the other hand, he arranged his preparations in order to abolish the Fatimi State. Sultan Melikshah had ordered for the advance movement of the Turkmen units in Syria. Meanwhile, there was a person called as Hasan Sabbah who was the head of Batini order that was supported by Fatimi propaganda and performed under the slogan of “Davet-i cedide” (New Invitation). Hasan Sabbah had captured the famous Alamut (Eagle Nest) castle in the rocky places within the environs of Kazvin. He also tried to collapse the Seljuk Empire through internal means with a terrible underground activity in the region. Therefore, Sultan Melikshah had been involved in a severe struggle with Hasan SAbbah and he planned to conquer Egypt in his last days. This Seljuk policy was oriented towards the eradication of Batini order that consisted of Shiah Islam that had a vital importance for the Turkish-Islam domination and a network of murderers. This policy was also followed by the Eyyubi State that was the continuation of this Turkish empire in respect of thoughts, organisation and political targets. They had accomplished this target and Salâh-üd-dîn Eyyûbî abolished the Fâtımî State (1171) and established his own Sunnite state.

The sultans of the Egypt Turkish State had also followed the same pursuit. Pursuant to Aybek and Kutuz who struggled with Ismaili order that was one of the branches of Batini order, Baghdad Abbasi caliph was killed by Hulagu in the year of 1258. Then, Sultan Baybars had declared El-Musta’sım from the same dynasty as the caliph in Cairo (1261). Therefore, this policy gained an official character and it was maintained until the end of the Ottoman State. It has been known that the same policy was followed by the other Seljuk States, Harezmshah State, Delhi Sultanate, Turkmen Principalities and the Tutor Principalities. Among the Tutors, Gökübörü who was from Beyteginli people had endeavoured great efforts to this effect. This tutor who had established various religious and social institutions in Erbil was one of the few combatants that were limited in number. This tutor had applied the procedure of the celebration of our Prophet’s birth as a general festival to which large groups of people joined in order to provide the full blend among the Muslims for the first time in history. These types of celebrations for our Prophet’s birth had turned into a tradition in all of the Islamic countries in the further periods.