Ferman of Mehmet the Conqueror

[Ottoman-Turk]

After Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror had invaded Bosnia, he offered the locals, religious freedom as a result of Ottoman governmental policies. In his ferman (1478) addressed to the Latin priests, Mehmed the Conqueror says: "I Sultan Mehmed Han, All the people from lower and upper classes should know that, I order this to the Bosnian priests who are carrying this ferman that: No one shall disturb or interfere with those priests or their churches. All the people who are unaware of this order or all the people who run away from my country can come to our lands and to their churches. Neither me nor my viziers shall disturb those people. I sware on the name of Allah, on the name of Mohammed, on the names of seven holy books, on the names of 124.000 prophets and on sword I wore, no one shall oppose those priests who will obey my authority and who will serve my country." As it is seen in the pertinant ferman, all the minorities living under Ottoman rule had enjoyed freedom equally.