Struggle for domination in the Eastern Anatolia in the 11th century and the attitude of Byzantium

Eastern Anatolia has had strategic importance throughout history due to its geographical location. In the 6th century, the wars between the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire deeply affected the struggle for dominance in the region, and these conflicts resulted in the transfer of Eastern Anatolia to Byzantium. However, the weakening of the Sassanid Empire and the decrease in Byzantium's defense power led to the influx of Muslim Arabs into the region. In the 7th century, Arab conquests gained momentum and the Byzantine Empire had difficulty stopping the Arab advance in the region. Thus, Eastern Anatolia came under the rule of Muslim Arabs. This process of domination drew the reaction of the Armenian population and Armenian rebellions broke out. The weakening of the Arab administration was reinforced by the resistance of the local people and the Muslim Arab domination ended. Then, the Byzantine Empire took control of the region again and settled the Armenians in the interior of Anatolia. This demographic change weakened the defenses of the region and attracted the attention of the Seljuks. The Seljuks organized raids against the Byzantine Empire, which found Anatolia defenseless, and conquered the region. After long struggles, the Seljuks accepted Anatolia as the homeland of the Turks and settled permanently in the region.