Iznik (Turkish: İznik), formerly Nicaea (Greek: Νίκαια), is a town and an administrative district in the Province of Bursa, Turkey. The town lies in a fertile basin at the eastern end of Lake İznik, bounded by ranges of hills to the north and south. As the crow flies the town is only 90 km southeast of Istanbul but by road it is 200 km around the Gulf of Izmit. It is 80 km by road from Bursa.

The town is situated with its west wall rising from the lake itself, providing both protection from siege from that direction, as well as a source of supplies which would be difficult to cut off. The lake is large enough that it cannot be blockaded from the land easily, and the city was large enough to make any attempt to reach the harbour from shore-based siege weapons very difficult.

The city was surrounded on all sides by 5 km (3 mi) of walls about 10 m (33 ft) high. These were in turn surrounded by a double ditch on the land portions, and also include over 100 towers in various locations. Large gates on the three landbound sides of the walls provided the only entrance to the city.

Devlet Bahçeli (born 1 January 1948 in Bahçe, Osmaniye) is a Turkish politician and has been the second chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) since 6 July 1997.

An academic in economics at the Gazi University in Ankara until 1987, he has been during three years a Deputy prime minister in the coalition government of Bülent Ecevit (1999–2002). Elected in the province of Osmaniye, he has been a MP in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey since 22 July 2007.

Born in the rural district of Bahçe in the province of Osmaniye, he attended primary school there. He moved to Istanbul for his secondary education. Bahçeli received his higher education from the scientific academy in Ankara and his doctorate from the Gazi University in Ankara. Bahçeli served as a lecturer for economics at the Gazi University before entering the political life in 1987.

In 1987, Devlet Bahçeli became a member of the board of the Nationalist Task Party (MÇP), which was officially renamed the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) during a congress on 24 January 1993. Following the death on 5 April 1997 of the founder and leader, Alparslan Türkeş, he became on 6 July 1997 the second chairman of the MHP. From 1999 to 2002, Bahçeli served as a Deputy prime minister in the coalition government (DSP-ANAP-MHP) of Bülent Ecevit.