Egyptian – Ottoman War ( 1831 – 33 ) The First Egyptian - Ottoman War , First Turco - Egyptian War or First Syrian War ( 1831 – 1833 ) was brought about by Muhammad Ali Pasha ' s demand to the Ottoman Empire for control of Arab Greater Syria , as reward for his assistance in Crete against Greece . As a result , Muhammad Ali ' s forces temporarily gained control of Syria , and advanced as far north as Adana . Background . The Greek War of Independence was a prelude to the conflict in which , the state of Egypt , nominally under Ottoman control was requested to send naval ships to aid the fledgling Ottoman fleets . The Ottoman and Egyptian ships were subsequently defeated at the battle of Navarino by an Anglo - Russo - French fleet . The Ottomans were also defeated two years later by the Russians in 1829 . Once more , Muhammad Ali was not given the promised reward for the aid he had given to Turkey during the war . Invasion of Syria . Outraged , Ali sent his army into Syria under the command of his son Ibrahim Pasha , and his navy , under command of General Ibrahim Yakan , landed at Jaffa . The Egyptians rapidly occupied Jerusalem and the coastal regions of Palestine and Lebanon . Several battles between the Egyptians and Ottomans ensued . At a village south of Homs on the Orontes , on April 14 , 1832 , the Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha defeated an Ottoman force of 15 , 000 under Othman Pasha . After reducing Acre , the Egyptians occupied Damascus on June 14 , 1832 . A new Ottoman army under Mohammed Pasha advanced south to Homs , and a major battle took place on July 8 , 1832 on the southern approaches to that city . The Ottomans were routed with large losses and the Egyptians occupied Homs on July 9 ; then Aleppo on July 17 , and Antioch on July 28 . On July 29 another major battle took place at the Pass of Beilan through the Nur Mountains , where the Egyptians defeated an Ottoman force of 45 , 000 equipped with 160 guns , under Hussein Pasha and captured 25 guns along with considerable war booty . The Egyptians occupied Beilan on July 30 , then Tarsus and Adana on July 31 . At this point the Egyptian army halted , having occupied the Arabic - speaking regions it had intended to annex to Egypt , and awaited instructions from Ibrahim ' s father , Muhammad Ali Pasha in Cairo . In the ensuing lull , the Sultan recalled the Grand Vizier Reshid Pasha and organised a new army of 80 , 000 to repel the Egyptians . Anticipating a final major battle , Ibrahim set about to capture territory in Southern Turkey to secure his supply lines . On December 21 , 1832 , the Battle of Konya was fought , where the Ottomans were easily defeated and the Egyptians thereafter threatened Constantinople . In February of the following year , the Ottoman Empire entered a defensive alliance with Russia and received military assistance from Nicholas I of Russia . Foreign pressure . The Egyptians were eventually forced to call off the invasion because of British and French pressure . Although they initially backed the Pasha , they threatened military action against him if he did not halt his advance . They feared that if the Egyptians were to continue advancing , an already severely weakened Ottoman Empire , would collapse and leave a power vacuum , in which Russia could possibly take or gain advantage . Aftermath . The war ended in 1833 , and Egypt was left in control of Syria and much of Arabia . At the Convention of Kutahya , held in May 1833 , Syria and Adana were ceded to Egypt , and Ibrahim became governor - general of the two provinces . Later that same year , the Ottomans signed the Treaty of Hünkâr İskelesi with Russia , in which both countries agreed to mutual assistance should either empire enter a military conflict . But the settlement of the Peace Agreement of Kutahya was not satisfactory to either party , resulting in the Second Ottoman - Egyptian War ( 1839 – 1841 ) .