TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Campaign · 1567
The Sultanate of Aceh in northern Sumatra asked the Ottomans for help against attacks by the Portuguese established at Malacca. According to the TDV article on Aceh, the embassy sent by Sultan Alauddin Riayat Syah reached Istanbul in 1565 while Suleiman was on the Szigetvár campaign, and had to wait. The Acehnese pledged allegiance to Selim II and signed a defensive agreement with the Ottomans against Portuguese attacks (1567). Selim II ordered guns, muskets, ammunition and various craftsmen to be sent to Aceh from Alexandria, and a fleet of seventeen ships, fifteen of them from the Red Sea squadron, was prepared. Because the revolt in Yemen kept the fleet in the Red Sea, the expedition was postponed for a year. Most of the Ottoman envoys and soldiers who reached Aceh settled there; their leader Seyyid Kemal was made a commander by the sultan of Aceh. The sermon text naming the Ottoman sultan was read at Friday prayers in Aceh until the early 20th century.
| Date | 1567–1568 |
|---|---|
| Location | Aceh (Sumatra) |
| Result | Arms, ammunition and craftsmen were sent to Aceh; an Ottoman–Acehnese tie was established |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire Aceh Sultanate | Portuguese Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Selim II Seyyid Kemal |
Took place during the reign of Selim II (1566–1574). Selim II
Open the reign of Selim II on the mapBy the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 5,127,000 km² in 1567; at the start of Selim II's reign they measured 5,124,000 km², at its end 5,296,000 km².
During Selim II (1566–1574) the atlas records 3 regions gained and 0 regions lost.
Regions gained: Cyclades (Naxos) (1566), Tunis (1569), Cyprus (1571).
The first sultan not to lead campaigns; he left government to his grand vizier. Cyprus was won and a heavy naval loss at Lepanto was quickly made good — counted as proof of the empire's institutional strength.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “AÇE” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Ottoman expedition to Aceh (1567): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/ottoman-expedition-to-aceh/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections