Bayezid's increasingly mystic and pacific nature leads the janissaries to dethrone him in favor of his militant and active son, who now returns from the Crimea and, with support from the janissaries, forces his father to abdicate the throne on April 25, 1512.

Beyazid departs for retirement in his native Demotika, but he dies on May 26, 1512 at Büyükçekmece before reaching his destination, and only a month after his abdication.

He is buried next to the Bayezid Mosque in Istanbul.

His son Kortud, too, dies within the month, very possibly poisoned by Selim.

Whereas Bayezid had been put on the throne by the janissaries despite his pacific nature and had carried out military activities with reluctance, Selim shares their desire to return to Mehmed II's aggressive policy of conquest.

However, Selim does not wish to be dependent on or controlled by those who have brought him to power, so he kills not only all his brothers but also all seven of their sons and four of his own five sons, leaving only the ablest, Süleyman, as the sole heir to the throne.

This deprives potential opponents of alternative leaders around whom they can coalesce.

Selim is thus able to leave the devsirme in control of the government, but he dominates.

Selim's ambitions encompass Europe as well as Asia; Bayezid had left the European fronts relatively quiet, however, so the new sultan turns first to the East and chooses the Safavids of Iran as his initial victims.