Mehmed II: Homosexual Conqueror?

[Romano-Dacis]

Ok, this thing always seemed a little odd to me. I read plenty about Vlad Dracula, and one of the things that is emphasized about his childhood as an Ottoman hostage is that his brother Radu the Handsome had a gay relationship with Mehmed the Conqueror.

Allow me to give you an example:
https://dspace.uta.edu/bitstream/101...i-uta-1977.pdf

While the character of Vlad Ţepeş was hardened by his captivity, Radu eventually succumbed to the sexual affections of Murad’s son, Mehmed II. He was to become Mehmed’s minion and later his choice for the Wallachian throne.

Considering the strong Orthodox religion with which Vlad Dracula was raised, I believe it is very likely that his time in Turkish captivity had a profound effect upon him. Witnessing the homosexual nature of his brother’s sexual submission would have assaulted the young Vlad on many levels. To an Orthodox Christian, the act itself was considered sinful. Seeing his own brother pander to the enemy in order to gain favor could have only filled ‘the son the dragon’ with a burning hatred for his captors.

Another example:
http://web.f.bg.ac.yu/download/121AN...-1.pdf#page=85

The kindness that Mehmet had shown to the Emperor’s surviving ministers
was of short duration. He had talked of making Lukas Notaras governor
of the conquered city. He put his loyalty to the test…Someone whispered to
him that Notaras’s fourteen-year old son was a boy of exceptional beauty. The
Sultan at once sent a eunuch to the house of the megadux to demand that the

boy be sent to him for his pleasure.

Another example:
http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu...&context=islam

Known homosexuals were tolerated in public office if they continue to publicly live a heterosexual lifestyle. For instance, Sultan Mehmet Fatif, Ottoman conqueror of
Constantinople and Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi, who invaded India from Afghanistan, are both important historical figures and known gays. Both men had several wives and children.
While Westerners would view these men—and those like them—as bisexual, Muslims view them as consistent with shari’a; they maintained an outwardly conforming appearance in terms of familial and public life but happened to engage in homosexual activity.

Now I've read similar references in other books about Dracula, but those books always seemed somewhat sensational to me and the reference could be excused as just that: sensationalism. However, could this be true? Was Mehmed II homosexual or bisexual? How prevalent was this at the Ottoman court? I always assumed notions of Orientalist sensuality, like those depicted in the famous Turkish bath painting, were more myth than fact.

So the question is: was Mehmed the Conqueror gay and if so, is he an exception or was this a normality?