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The raids of independent Turkmen groups to Anatolia
continued without any hesitation. One of the emirs that managed these Turkmens, Afsin
captured and despoiled Kayseri in the year of 1067. The Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
(1067-1071) organised a military expedition in order to repel the Turks out of Anatolia
and he advanced towards Aleppo. However, this movement could not prevent the advance of
Turks. Turkmen people under the control of Afsin and Ahmed-shah came to the region of
Central Anatolia and even to the region of Sakarya. Moreover, they captured and despoiled
the city of Amorium. The Emperor Romanos Dioegenes organised his second military
expedition against the Turks in the year of 1069.
In the course of
manoeuvres in the Central Anatolia, he came first to Kayseri and then advanced towards the
banks of Euphrates River. While Turkish raiders retreated against Romanos, the other
groups continued these manoeuvres. As a result, Turkish forces attacked to Malatya and
despoiled and destroyed Konya at the same time. Therefore, the Byzantine Empire returned
empty-handed without any essential success against the Seljuk raiders in his second
military expedition. On the other hand, upon the rebellion of Kavurd, Er-Babgan who was
Alp Arslan's sister's husband that ran away before him oriented towards Anatolia. Sultan
had assigned Emir Afsin with the task of the pursuit of a Seljuk prince that took shelter
in the Byzantine. On this occasion, Afsin had extended the Turkish raids towards the
coasts of the Sea of Marmara.
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