Ottoman History: 1302-1481 International Symposium / July 27-28, 2010
The “Symposium on Ottoman History,” organized by Yalova Municipality and Halil İnalcık Institute for Ottoman History Studies, commenced at the Thermal Hotel. Renowned historian Prof. Dr. Halil İnalcık reiterated the claim during the opening session of the symposium that the Ottoman Empire gained state status with the Battle of Bafeus, which took place in Yalova in 1302. İnalcık emphasized that the war, which occurred as a result of the siege of İznik by Osman Gazi and the army sent by the Byzantine governor, marked the point at which the Ottomans achieved statehood.
Among the prominent figures attending the symposium are Yalova Governor Yusuf Erbay, Director General of Promotion at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Cumhur Güven Taşbaşı, Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Historical Society Mehmet Öz, and Director of Topkapı Palace Museum Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı.
The symposium delved into the claim of the Ottoman Empire’s establishment as a state in Yalova, with excerpts from the historical sources of the period, sparking discussions on the significance and place of this claim among historians. Additionally, within the scope of the symposium, the “Halil İnalcık History Award” was presented to Prof. Dr. Ali Akyıldız, a faculty member at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Marmara University. Halil İnalcık presented the award, and other participants of the symposium were gifted with paintings made in the art of miniature.