It is usually assumed that the all Turks once were Ottomans, which is false. Ottomans were merely a dynasty, which happent to conquer and rule over the lands other people were living in. Even though the dynasty is Turkic in origin, they mixed heavily with Slavs, Greeks and Byzantine folks later on. After the fall of Seljuk Empire, Anatolia was distributed between smaller states that were of Turkic, Armenian and Pontic Greek. Here is the post-Seljuk map of Anatolia:
Of course, Ottomans rose to power and absorbed all other states, becoming an Empire. But except one state, Karamanids. Karamanids did not submit to Ottoman rule until as far as the aftermath of the fall of Constantinople. Karamanids was a Turkic state, who, unlike Ottomans, maintained their Turkic culture and language, refusing to be influenced by Arab, Persian and Slavic elements. Let's remind here that the Arabo-Persian language spoken by Ottomans within the vicinity of the Sultan was not the language of common people in Anatolia, who spoke Turkish.
Ottomans eventually defeated Karamanids with the help of Serbian and Bulgarian mercenaries (Mehmed II's mother was a Serb). They did not only force Karamanids into submission, but they went as far as banishing most of its inhabitants to Balkans and Cyprus, because they were incredibly pissed off with the fight put up by Karamanids against their rule. For centuries, Anatolian Turks were ruled by the Ottoman family, until Atatürk, a Balkan Turk, who ended their rule and exiled all of them abroad. Atatürk, just like most Balkan Turks, was descended from the Karamanid folk who was banished to Balkans by Ottomans. When the last Ottoman sultan was aboarding a British ship to leave the country, some people who gathered to see him off shouted "Karamanid Ibrahim Beg, You are avenged!", which referred to the last ruler of Karamanids.
During the debates in the parliament over the abolishment of the Ottoman rule which was still yet to be resolved; Atatürk settled the issue once and for all by uttering those historical words: "Sovereignty and kingship are never decided by academic debate. They are seized by force.
The Ottoman dynasty appropriated by force the government of the Turks, and reigned over them for six centuries. Now the Turkish nation has effectively gained possession of its sovereignty.
If those assembled here see the matter in its natural light, we shall all agree. Otherwise, facts will still prevail, but some heads may roll." He basically said that the centuries of domination over Turks by the Ottoman family had come to an end, and it is only a matter of whether it is recognized or not, and if they fail to recognize it, their heads will be chopped off. True revolutionary leader!
Atatürk nullified the official Ottoman Arabo-Persian language which was already not spoken by Anatolian Turks, and reformed the language, removing many Arabic and Persian loanwords, adopting the Latin alphabet, and increasing the public literacy which was at 1 percent.
As a Balkan Turk; I can proudly associate myself with Karamanids, and in no way Ottomans. Thankfully, those Balkan Turks descended from Karamanids who were banished by Ottomans, avenged their ancestors centuries later by putting the Ottoman family in their place! thankfully, the Turkish Republic was founded by the great leader Atatürk. And this is also exactly why he was granted this surname that stands for 'Father of the Turks'!, he was the savior of Turks, and Turkish identity in Anatolia, which had been suppressed by the Ottoman family.
Karamanid Ibrahim Beg, rest well, you are avenged!
Türkiye
Originally Posted by Ryuk
Also, I didn't read any information that the karamanlids were descended from the Khazars.On the contrary,the Karamanli Turks came from Central Asia with Oguz migrations like all Anatolian Turks.
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