Religious politics of Sultan Mehmed the conqueror

The aim of this study called "Religious Politics of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror" is to examine the role of a Muslim sultan who belongs to the Islamic religion, his style of government and the faith he belongs to in governing the state. II. Mehmed is one of the few sultans whose name stands out among the Ottoman sultans. During his rule, he put an end to empires, especially the conquest of Istanbul, annexed many states and principalities, closed an era and opened a new one, and this is evidence of his success in state administration. To deal with Fatih only with his conquests would be to fail to understand him. Because he clearly stated to Uzun Hasan's mother during the Trabzon campaign that he was acting with the spirit of war. He saw his conquests as a tool to spread Islam and promote his faith. He demonstrated the evidence of this idea with the tolerance he showed to the Byzantines after the conquest of Istanbul and the edicts he gave during his many expeditions to Europe. In Fatih's understanding of religious politics, there is the ideal of a single state and a single ruler that represents and spreads Islam. He believed that Islam could only be strengthened and represented correctly in this way. The fact that he put an end to the Karamanoğulları Principality and the Akkoyunlu State founded by Uzun Hasan, which he saw as opposing his thought, and his rivalry with the Mamluk State, which appeared to be the protector of Muslims, indicate the existence of this policy. Key words: Mehmed the Conqueror, Ottoman State, Religion, Conquest, Gazâ.