Özi Province and Fortress in the context of 17th century Ottoman-Polish frontier relations

The Ottoman Empire's northern and northwestern border policy in the XVIIth century, differs from the previous century. The policy previously established by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, which was based on the existence of more than one power in the north at the same time while none of them being very strong, and absolute Ottoman sovereignty in the Black Sea, was changed in the XVIIth century due to the attacks of Poland, the Cossacks and Moscow, which was hiding behind them, so to speak. First of all, the friendly and diplomatic relations between the Ottoman Empire and Poland, the two important powers in the region in the XVIth century would be replaced by relations on the battlefields in the following century, under the influence of the Cossacks. Meanwhile, the Ottoman Empire, starting from the end of the XVIth century began to take serious defensive measures to protect its borders and to prevent Cossack attacks nearing Istanbul. It was during this period that Özi Castle, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, at the mouth of the Özi River opening to the Black Sea, began to become an important border castle and the Özi and its surroundings began to develop into an important provincial center.