Turgut Reis, Ottoman Admiral and Privateer
Illustration of Turgut Reis preparing for the boarding of an enemy ship. Turgut Reis (1485-1565) was an Ottoman Admiral and privateer. Under his naval command the Ottoman Empire maritime was extended across North Africa. When Turgut was serving as pasha, he adorned and built up the city of Tripoli, making it one of the most impressive cities along the North African Coast. Turgut was a Muslim seaman of Greek descent. He was captured and taken prisoner by the corsairs in his youth and had converted to Islam. He became a skilled sailor, an outstanding gunner, and was trained as a cannoneer and master of siege artillery. In 1520 he joined the fleet of Hayreddin Barbarossa, who would become his protector and best friend. After Barbarossa's death in 1546, Turgut succeeded him as supreme commander of Ottoman naval forces in the Mediterranean. When Sultan Suleiman ordered the Siege of Malta in 1565, Turgut Reis joined the Ottoman forces with 1, 600 men and 15 ships. A cannon shot from Fort St. Angelo across the Grand Harbor struck the ground close to the Turkish battery. Debris from the impact mortally injured Turgut Reis
