Varsak was listed among the
Turkmen tribes who established themselves in southern
Anatolia by 14th-century sources from the
Mamluk Sultanate, such as of
al-Qalqashandi and of
Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri. The Varsaks were among the most powerful Turkmen tribes who joined the
Karamanid princes
Pir Ahmed and
Kasim in their struggle against the
Ottoman state. With tribal support, Pir Ahmed and Kasim took over various Anatolian towns including
Aksaray,
Develi,
Ereğli,
Larende, and
Niğde, although they failed to capture
Konya. Kasim took advantage of the Ottomans' investment in
Euboia on the
European side of the
Aegean Sea and advanced as north as
Ankara.
Mehmed II () assigned
Rum Mehmed Pasha to subdue the Karamanids in the summer of 1470. Chief of the Varsaks, Uyuz Beg, and his men flanked Rum Mehmed Pasha in the
Taurus Mountains, disrupting the Ottoman hopes to extinguish the Karamanids. Later,
Ishak Pasha was also tasked with dealing with the Karamanids. Ishak Pasha successfully defeated the
Turghud and Varsak Turkmens. He captured the rebellious fortresses of Varkoy,
Uçhisar, and
Ortahisar, exiled the residents of Aksaray to
Constantinople, and repaired the fortifications of
Mut and Niğde. ==Sub-tribes==