Editing Orhan (section)

===Decline of Byzantine Empire===

During Orhan's reign as the Ottoman emir, the Byzantine Empire declined&nbsp;– partly due to the ambitions of Italian maritime states and to the aggression of the Turcomans and other [[Turkoman (ethnonym)|Turcoman]] states, but also due to civil wars within the empire.

During these years the Byzantine Empire became so weak that commercial supremacy in the surrounding seas around it became a bone of contention for the Italian maritime commercial city states. The [[Republic of Genoa]] possessed [[Galata]], a separate Genoese city across the [[Golden Horn]] from Constantinople itself. The Genoese had [[Byzantine–Genoese War (1348–1349)|fought the Byzantines earlier in 1348]] when the Byzantines had decreased their customs tariffs in order to attract trade to the Byzantine side of the Golden Horn. In 1352 the rivalry for trade led to a war between Genoa and [[Republic of Venice|Venice]]. The Genoese, in resisting a Venetian fleet attacking their ships in the Golden Horn, bombarded the sea walls of Constantinople and pushed the Byzantines to ally with the Venetians. The Venetians assembled a large naval force, including hired fleets from [[Peter IV of Aragon]] and from the Byzantine Empire of [[John VI Cantacuzene]]. The sea battle between the Venetian fleet under the command of [[Niccolo Pisani]] and the Genoese fleet under [[Paganino Doria]] led to defeat of Venetians and their Byzantine allies.<ref>Norwich, J. J. (1996) ''Byzantium: the Decline and Fall''. Penguin, London. Chp.19</ref> Orhan opposed the Venetians, whose fleets and piratical raids were disrupting his seaward provinces, and who had met his diplomatic overtures with contempt. The Venetians were allies of John VI, so Orhan sent an auxiliary force across the straits to Galata, which there co-operated with the Genoese.

In the midst of the distress and confusion that the Byzantine Empire now suffered, Orhan's eldest son, Suleyman Pasha, captured the Castle of [[Tzympe]] (Cinbi) in a bold move which gave the Turks a permanent foothold on the European side of the Dardanelles Straits. He also started to settle migrant Turcomans and town-dwelling Turks in the strategic city and castle of [[Gelibolu]] ([[Gallipoli]]), which had been devastated by a severe earthquake and was therefore evacuated by its inhabitants. Suleyman refused various financial inducements offered by John VI to empty the castle and the city. The emperor pleaded with his son-in-law Orhan to meet personally and discuss the matter, but the request was either rejected or could not be carried out due to Orhan's age and ill-health.<ref>Norwich, p.320</ref>

This military situation remained unresolved, in part because of the eruption of hostilities between John VI and his co-emperor and son-in-law John V Palaeologus. John V was dismissed from his imperial post and exiled to [[Ancient Tenedos|Tenedos]]; Cantacuzene's son [[Matthew Cantacuzene|Matthew]] was crowned as the co-emperor. But very soon John V returned from exile with Venetian help and conducted a coup, taking over the government of Constantinople. Although the two men came to an agreement to share power, John VI resigned from his imperial post and became a monk. Each of these two contestants for power was continually soliciting Orhan's aid against the other, and Orhan supported whichever side would benefit the Ottomans.<ref>Norwich, pp. 321–322</ref>