Battle of Ankara
During the period of crisis for the Ottoman Empire after the Battle of Ankara in 1402 several Ottoman vassals from Albania including Gjon Kastrioti, Niketas Thopia and Nicola Zaccaria, recognized Venetian suzerainty. Numerous members of Albanian noble families were Venetian pronoiers. Many Albanian noblemen fought against Skanderbeg within Venetian forces during Albanian–Venetian War.