Turkey, Ottoman Empire. A Medal for Ottoman-Greek War of 1897

Silver, obverse with the tungra of Sultan Abdul Hamid II within a laurel wreath with rose, reverse inscribed in Arabic "Greek War, Day - Sunday, 23rd of Zildake (11th month - Hejira calendar), 1314 (1897AD)", measuring 24.5 mm, without ribbon, very light contact, near extremely fine.

Footnote: The immediate cause of the 1897 War was the question over the status of the Ottoman province of Crete, whose Greek majority desired its annexation to Greece and had revolted with the support of Athens against the Ottoman rule. The War lasted just thirty days and although it was lost for Greece in the field, Athens achieved a diplomatic victory. As a result of the intervention of the Great Powers, Greece was forced to cede minor border areas and to pay heavy reparations, however, an autonomous Cretan State under Ottoman sovereignty was established the following year, with Prince George of Greece as its first High Commissioner.