When the Jews expelled from Spain accepted the generous offer of Bayazid II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and chose to settle in Turkey, the existing local Jewish community was already well organized and had a Chief Rabbi (Hakham Bashi in Turkish), the well know Rabbi Moshe Capsali in function from 1454 to 1497. After his successor Elia Mizrahi who was in the position during the years 1497-1526, most of the subsequent Turkey Chief Rabbis were descendents of the newcomers, the Sephardim.