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issued as a
diplomatic note...
How the Ottoman Empire began the process...
CONQUEST OF CYPRUS
(1571)
Yavuz Sultan
Selim conquered Egypt in 1517, which event caused the Ottoman State
to directly interact with Cyprus. It was essential by conjuncture to
take Cyprus and Crete
after the conquest of Egypt.
The second door that opened to the conquest of Cyprus was the conquest
of Rhodes. The conquest of Rhodes also weakened the defense line of
Venice.
Another important reason that forced the conquest of Cyprus was the
Catholization policy that Venice implemented. Venice coerced the Orthodox
islanders to convert to Catholicism, as a result of which they demanded
help from the Ottoman State. This was one of the most significant factors
which served as a basis for the Ottomans to conquer the island...
In addition, Venetian pirates plundered the ships cruising the Mediterranean.
This affected commerce on the Mediterranean adversely and prevented
the Ottomans from trading with the regions they dominated.
Therefore, the Ottoman Empire issued
a diplomatic note to Venice on 11 February 1570. This ultimatum stated
that "The Cyprus Island was 2.000 miles away from Venice, that
Venetians attacked the Ottomans in the Dalmatian Region, that the pirates
who attacked trade and pilgrimage ships took refuge in Cyprus and that
Venice's capturing the island which it did not need was contrary to
friendship", requested that "the island be left to Turks to
make an end of such incidents for the sake of a medium of peace"
and fiercely expressed that "war would be inevitable otherwise".
The Senate rejected this. Kubad Çavus conveyed this negative
respond to Istanbul on 5 May 1570.
So, all reasons to conquer the island were ready and the process of
conquest began...
