(Redirected from Dragut)
Turgut Reis
'Turgut Reis' (
1485 -
June 23,
1565) was a
Turkish privateer and
Ottoman admiral as well as
Bey of
Algiers;
Beylerbey of the
Mediterranean; and first
Bey later
Pasha of
Tripoli. Known in different languages under such names as Dragut or Darghouth, the original name in
Turkey is Turgut Reis (reis = captain) or less commonly Torgut Reis as his name appears in several old Turkish and foreign resources.
Early career
Turgut was born near
Bodrum, on the
Aegean coast of
Turkey, as the son of a
Turkish farmer named Veli. At the age of 12 he was noticed by an
Ottoman army commander for his extraordinary talent in using spears and arrows and was recruited by him as an apprentice, with the consent of his parents, to be trained as a cannoneer and master of siege artillery, which would play an important role in Turgut's future success and reputation as a superb naval tactician. Turgut accompanied his master in the Ottoman conquest of
Egypt in
1517 and participated in the fighting as a cannoneer. He further improved his skills in this field during his presence in
Cairo. Following the death of his master, Turgut went to
Alexandria and began his career as a sailor after joining the fleet of Sinan Reis. He immediately became one of the favourite crewmen of the famous corsair due to his success in hitting enemy vessels with cannons. Turgut soon mastered the skills of seamanship and became the captain of a
brigantine, while given 1/4 of its ownership. After several successful campaigns, he became the sole owner of the brigantine. Turgut later became the captain and owner of a galliot, and arming it with the most advanced cannons of that period, he started to operate in the
Eastern Mediterranean, especially targeting the shipping routes between
Venice and the
Aegean islands belonging to the
Repubblica Serenissima.
In
1520 he joined the fleet of
Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha, who would become his protector and best friend. Turgut was soon promoted to the rank of chief lieutenant by Barbarossa and was given the command of 12 galliots. In
1526 Turgut Reis captured the fortress of Capo Passero in
Sicily. Between
1526 and
1533 he landed several times at the ports of the
Kingdom of Sicily and the
Kingdom of Naples, while intercepting the ships which sailed between Spain and Italy, capturing many of them. In May
1533, commanding four
fustas and 18
barques, Turgut Reis captured two Venetian galleys near the island of
Aegina.
In June and July
1538 he accompanied Barbarossa on his pursuit of
Andrea Doria in the
Adriatic Sea, while capturing several fortresses on the coasts of
Albania as well as the
Gulf of Preveza and the island of
Lefkada. In August
1538 Turgut Reis captured
Candia in
Crete as well as several other
Venetian possessions in the
Aegean Sea.
Battle of Preveza
In September
1538, with 20 galleys and 10 galliots, Turgut Reis commanded the center-rear wing of the Ottoman fleet that defeated the
''Holy League'' under the command of
Andrea Doria at the
Battle of Preveza. During the battle, with two of his galliots, he captured the Papal galley under the command of Giambattista Dovizi, the knight who was also the abbot of
Bibbiena, taking him and his crew as prisoners.
In
1539, commanding 36 galleys and galliots, Turgut Reis recaptured
Castelnuovo from the
Venetians, who had taken the city back from the Ottomans. During the combat he sank two Venetian galleys and captured three others. Still in 1539, while landing on
Corfu, he encountered 12 Venetian galleys under the command of Francesco Pasqualigo and captured the galley of Antonio da Canal. He later landed at Crete and fought against the Venetian cavalry forces under the command of Antonio Calbo.
Governor of Djerba
Later that year, when
Sinan Reis, the Governor of
Djerba, was appointed by
Suleiman the Magnificent as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Ottoman
Red Sea Fleet based in
Suez, Turgut Reis was appointed as his successor and became the Governor of Djerba.
In early
1540 Turgut Reis captured several
Genoese ships off the coast of
Santa Margherita Ligure. In April 1540, commanding two galleys and 13 galliots, he landed at
Gozo and sacked the island. He later landed at
Pantelleria and raided the coasts of Sicily and Spain with a force of 25 ships, inflicting so much damage that Andrea Doria was ordered by
Charles V to chase him with a force of 81 galleys. From there, Turgut Reis sailed to the
Tyrrhenian Sea and bombarded the southern ports of
Corsica, most notably
Palasca. He later captured and sacked the nearby island of
Capraia.
Captivity and freedom
Turgut Reis later sailed back towards
Corsica and docked his ships at
Girolata on the western shores of the island. Taken by surprise while repairing his ships, Turgut Reis and his men were attacked by the combined forces of Giannettino Doria (Andrea Doria's nephew), Giorgio Doria and Gentile Virginio Orsini. Turgut Reis was captured and was forced to work as a
galley slave in the ship of Giannettino Doria for nearly four years before being imprisoned in
Genoa. Barbarossa offered to pay ransom for his release but it was rejected. In
1544, when Barbarossa was returning from
France with 210 ships sent by Sultan Suleiman to assist his ally
Francois I against
Spain, he appeared before Genoa, laying siege to the city and forcing the Genoese to negotiate for the release of Turgut Reis. Barbarossa was invited by Andrea Doria to discuss the issue in his palace at Fassolo, and the two admirals reached an agreement for the release of Turgut Reis in exchange of 3,500 gold ducats.
Barbarossa gave Turgut his spare flagship and the command of several other vessels, and in that same year Turgut Reis landed at
Bonifacio in Corsica and captured the city, inflicting particular damage to Genoese interests. Still in 1544 he assaulted the island of Gozo and fought against the forces of knight Giovanni Ximenes while capturing several
Maltese ships which were bringing precious cargo from Sicily. In June
1545 he raided the coasts of Sicily and bombarded several ports on the
Tyrrhenian Sea. In July he ravaged the island of
Capraia and landed at the coasts of
Liguria and the
Italian Riviera with a force of 15 galleys and fustas. He sacked
Monterosso and
Corniglia, and later landed at
Menarola and
Riomaggiore. In the following days he landed at the Gulf of
La Spezia and captured
Rapallo,
Pegli and
Levanto. In
1546 he captured
Mahdia,
Sfax,
Sousse and
Al Munastir in
Tunisia, afterwards using Mahdia as a base to assault the
Knights of St. John in
Malta. In April
1546 he raided the coasts of
Liguria. In May, still in Liguria, he captured
Laigueglia, a province of
Savona, with a force of 1000 men. He later captured
Andora and captured the podesta of the town. There he and his troops rested for a brief period, before resuming their assault on the Italian Riviera and landing at
San Lorenzo al Mare. From there he once again sailed towards Malta and laid waste to the island of Gozo.
In June
1546 Andrea Doria was appointed by Emperor Charles V to force Turgut Reis away from Malta, and Doria based his forces at the island of
Favignana. The two admirals, however, did not meet up, as Turgut Reis had sailed to
Toulon in August 1546, staying there for several months and letting his men have some rest in the security of a French port.
Commander-in-Chief of Ottoman Naval Forces in the Mediterranean
After Barbarossa's death in July
1546, Turgut succeeded him as supreme commander of Ottoman naval forces in the
Mediterranean. In July
1547 he once again assaulted Malta with a force of 23 galleys and galliots, after hearing the news that the
Kingdom of Naples was shaken by the revolt against Viceroy Don Pietro of Toledo, which would make a naval support from there to Malta rather unlikely. Turgut Reis landed his troops at
Marsa Scirocco, the extreme southern point of the island which faces the shores of Africa. From there the Ottoman troops quickly marched towards the vicinity of the Church of Santa Caterina. The guards of the church tower escaped as soon as they saw the forces of Turgut Reis, which prevented them from igniting the tub of gunpowder -- a common method used then to warn the local inhabitants of attacks. After sacking the island, Turgut Reis headed towards Capo Passero in Sicily, where he captured the galley of Giulio Cicala, son of Duke Vincenzo Cicala. He later sailed to the
Aeolian Islands, and at
Salina Island he captured a Maltese trade ship with valuable cargo. From there he sailed to
Puglia and towards the end of July 1547 he assaulted the city of
Salve. He later sailed to
Calabria, forcing the local population to flee towards the safety of the mountains. From there he went to Corsica and captured a number of ships.
Bey of Algiers
In
1548 he was appointed ''
Beylerbey'' (''Chief Governor'') of
Algiers by Suleiman the Magnificent. In that same year he ordered the construction of a quadrireme galley at the naval arsenal of Djerba, which he started using in 1549. In August 1548 he landed at
Castellamare di Stabia on the Bay of Naples and captured the city along with nearby
Pozzuoli. From there he went to
Procida. A few days later, he captured a Spanish galley loaded with troops and gold at
Capo Miseno near
Procida. In the same days he captured the Maltese galley, ''La Caterinetta'', at the Gulf of Naples, with its cargo of 70,000 gold ducats which were collected by the Knights of St. John from the churches of France with the aim of strengthening the defenses of
Tripoli, which was then under Maltese control.
In May
1549 he set sail towards Liguria with 21 galleys and in July he assaulted
Rapallo, later replenishing his ships with water and other supplies at
San Fruttuoso. From there he sailed to
Portofino and landed at the port, before appearing at
San Remo where he captured a
Aragonese galley from
Barcelona which was heading towards Naples. From there he first sailed towards Corsica and later towards Calabria where he assaulted the city of
Palmi.
In February
1550, sailing with a force of 36 galleys, he recaptured Mahdia along with
Al Munastir,
Sousse and most of
Tunisia. In May 1550 he assaulted the ports of
Sardinia and Spain and landed on their coasts with a force of six galleys and 14 galliots. Still in May he unsuccessfully tried to capture Bonifacio in Corsica. On his way back to Tunisia, he stopped at Gozo to replenish his ships with water and to gather information on the activities of the Maltese Knights. He later sailed towards Liguria.
In June 1550, while Turgut Reis was sailing near Genoa, Andrea Doria and Bailiff
Claude de la Sengle of the Maltese Knights attacked Mahdia in Tunisia. In the meantime, Turgut Reis was busy assaulting and sacking Rapallo for a third time, before raiding the coasts of Spain. He then sailed to the
Tyrrhenian Sea and towards the beginning of July landed at the western shores of Sardinia, before returning to Djerba, where he learned that Doria and Claude de la Sengle had been attacking Mahdia and
Tunis. He collected a force of 4500 troops and 60
sipahis and marched on Mahdia to assist the local resistance. He did not succeed and returned to Djerba with his troops.
In September 1550 Mahdia surrendered to the joint Spanish-Sicilian-Maltese force. In the meantime, Turgut Reis was repairing his ships at the beach of Djerba. On October, Andrea Doria appeared with his fleet at Djerba and blocked the entrance of the island's lagoon with his ships, trapping the beached galleys of Turgut Reis inside the Channel of Cantera. Turgut Reis had all his ships dragged overland through hastily dug canals and on a heavily greased boardway to the other side of the island and sailed to
Istanbul, capturing two galleys on the way, one Genoese and one Sicilian, which were en route to Djerba in order to assist the forces of Doria. Prince Abu Beker, son of the Sultan of Tunis, who was an ally of Spain, was on the Genoese galley.
After arriving in Istanbul, Turgut Reis, authorized by Sultan Suleiman, mobilized a fleet of 112
galleys and two
galleasses with 12,000
Janissaries, and in
1551 set sail with the Ottoman admiral
Sinan Pasha towards the
Adriatic Sea and bombarded Venetian ports, inflicting serious damage on Venetian shipping. In May 1551 they landed on Sicily and bombarded the eastern shores of the island, most notably the city of
Augusta, as revenge for the Viceroy of Sicily's role in the invasion and destruction of Mahdia, where most inhabitants had been massacred by the joint Spanish-Sicilian-Maltese force. They then attempted to capture Malta, landing with about 10,000 men at the southern port of
Marsa Muscietto. They laid siege to the citadels of
Birgu and
Senglea, and later went north and assaulted
Mdina, but lifted the siege after realizing that it was impossible to capture the island with the number of troops in hand. Instead, they moved to the neighboring island of
Gozo, where they bombarded the citadel for several days. The Knights' governor there, Galatian de Sesse, realizing that resistance was futile, surrendered the citadel, and the corsairs sacked the town. Taking virtually the entire population of Gozo (approximately 5,000 people) into captivity, Turgut and Sinan sailed to Tripoli.
Bey of Tripoli
In August 1551 Turgut Reis attacked and captured Tripoli (Libya), which had been a possession of the Knights of St. John since 1530. Gaspare de Villers, the commander of the fort, was captured, along with other prominent knights of Spanish and France origin. However, upon the intervention of the French
ambassador in Istanbul, Gabriel d'Aramont, the French knights were released. A local leader, Ağa Murat, was initially installed as governor of Tripoli, but subsequently Turgut himself took control of the area. In recognition of his services, Sultan Suleiman awarded Tripoli and the surrounding territory to Turgut, along with the title of ''Sanjak Bey'' (''Province Governor'').
In September 1551, Turgut Reis sailed to Liguria and captured the city of
Taggia, before capturing other ports of the Italian Riviera, after Ottoman troops landed at the beach of
Riva Brigoso. Later that year, he returned to Tripoli and sought to extend his territory, capturing the entire region of
Misratah all the way to
Zuwarah and Djerba to the west. Turning inland, he enhanced his territory until reaching
Gebel.
Battle of Ponza and campaigns in the West Mediterranean
In
1552 Sultan Suleiman appointed Turgut Reis commander-in-chief of the Ottoman fleet which he dispatched to Italy (on the basis of a treaty between the Sultan and King
Henry II of France). Turgut Reis first landed at
Augusta and
Licata in Sicily, before capturing the island and castle of
Pantelleria. In July 1552 he landed at
Taormina and later bombarded and disabled the ports on the Gulf of
Policastro. He later landed at
Palmi and captured the city, before sailing to the Gulf of Naples in order to meet with the other branch of the Ottoman fleet under the command of
Sinan Pasha and the French fleet under the command of
Polin de la Garde. After arriving at the meeting location, Turgut Reis anchored his ships off the beach of
Scauri, near
Formia, where he met with the fleet of Sinan Pasha, but their French ally did not show up in time. After waiting for several days, Sinan Pasha decided to return to Istanbul, following an order by Suleiman to do so in case of a delay or postponement of the meeting. Turgut Reis convinced Sinan Pasha to join him, and their combined fleet bombarded various ports of Sardinia and Corsica, before capturing the island of
Ponza. From there the Turkish fleet sailed towards
Lazio and bombarded the ports belonging to the
Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples, even though Henry II had guaranteed the
Pope that the Ottoman fleet would not damage the
Vatican's possessions. Due to bad weather, however, Turgut Reis and Sinan Pasha sailed back to the Gulf of Naples and landed at
Massa Lubrense and
Sorrento, capturing both towns. They later captured
Pozzuoli and the entire coastline up to
Minturno and
Nola.
In response, Andrea Doria set sail from Genoa with a force of 40 galleys and headed towards Naples. When the two fleets first encountered off Naples, Turgut Reis managed to capture seven galleys, with colonel Madruzzi and many
German soldiers of the
Holy Roman Empire on board.
The two fleets later went southwards, where, on
5 August 1552, Turgut Reis defeated the Spanish-Italian fleet under Andrea Doria at the Battle of
Ponza.
Beylerbey of the Mediterranean
Following this victory, Suleiman appointed Turgut ''Beylerbey'' (''Chief Regional Governor'') of the Mediterranean Sea.
In May
1553 Turgut Reis set sail from the
Aegean Sea with 60 galleys, captured
Crotone and Castello in Calabria, and from there marched inland. Later he landed on Sicily and sacked most of the island until stopping at
Licata for replenishing his ships with water. Afterwards he assaulted
Sciacca and
Modica in southern Sicily. From there he went to the island of
Tavolara and to Sardinia, later headed towards
Porto Ercole and landed on the coast, before setting sail towards Elba, where he captured
Marciana Marina,
Rio and
Capoliveri. From there he sailed to Corsica and took Bonifacio,
Bastia and
Calvi on behalf of France, then ally of the Ottoman Empire, which paid him 30,000 gold ducats for the expense of ammunition in the conquest. Leaving Corsica, Turgut Reis returned to Elba and attempted to capture
Piombino and
Portoferraio, but eventually gave up and captured the island of
Pianosa and recaptured the island and castle of
Capri (previously captured by Barbarossa back in 1535) before returning to Istanbul.
In
1554 he sailed from the
Bosphorus with 60 galleys and passed the winter in
Chios. From there he sailed to the
Adriatic Sea and landed at
Vieste near
Foggia, capturing and sacking the city. He then sailed towards
Dalmatia and bombarded the port of
Ragusa (Dubrovnik), capital of the maritime
Republic of Ragusa. In August 1554 he landed at
Orbetello and raided the coasts of
Tuscany.
The following year, in July
1555, he landed at
Capo Vaticano in Calabria, and from there marched to
Ceramica and
San Lucido, bombarding these cities, before capturing
Paola and
Santo Noceto. He then sailed to Elba and captured the city of
Populonia before assaulting
Piombino. From there he sailed to Corsica and ransacked Bastia, taking 6000 prisoners. He later assaulted
Calvi before setting sail towards Sardinia and bombarding the ports of that island. From there he turned towards Liguria and landed at
Ospedaletti, capturing the city and the coastline around it. He later landed at
San Remo before returning to Istanbul.
Pasha of Tripoli
In March
1556 Turgut Reis was promoted to the rank of
Pasha of Tripoli. There, he strengthened the walls of the citadel surrounding the city and built a gunpowder bastion (Dar el Barud). He also strengthened the defenses of the port and built the Turgut (Dragut) Fortress in place of the old Fortress of San Pietro. In July 1556 he again set sail and landed at Cape Santa Maria at the island of
Lampedusa, where he captured a Venetian ship which transported ammunition and weapons for the defense of Malta. He later landed in Liguria and captured
Bergeggi and
San Lorenzo. In December 1556 he captured
Gafsa in Tunisia and added it to his territory.
In the summer of
1557 he left the Bosphorus with a fleet of 60 galleys and, arriving at the
Gulf of Taranto, he landed in Calabria and assaulted
Cariati, capturing the city. He later landed at the ports of
Puglia.
In
1558 he added
Gharyan, about 70 miles south of Tripoli, to his territory. He then defeated the Beni Oulid dynasty with a force of janissaries and added their territories to the Ottoman Empire. He later took
Taorga,
Misratah and
Tagiora, before recapturing the island of Djerba and adding it to his province. In June 1558 he joined the fleet of
Piyale Pasha at the
Strait of Messina, and the two admirals captured
Reggio Calabria, sacking the city. From there, Turgut Reis went to the
Aeolian Islands and captured several of them, before landing at
Amalfi, in the Gulf of
Salerno, and capturing
Massa Lubrense, Cantone and
Sorrento. He later landed at
Torre del Greco, the coasts of Tuscany, and Piombino. In August he captured several ships off Malta. In September 1558 he joined Piyale Pasha, and the two admirals assaulted the coasts of Spain before capturing
Minorca and inflicting particular damage on the island's ports.
In
1559 he repelled a Spanish attack on
Algiers and put down a revolt in Tripoli. In that same year he captured a Maltese ship near
Messina. Learning from its crew that the knights were preparing for a major attack on Tripoli, he decided to sail back there and strengthen the city's defenses.
Battle of Djerba
In the meantime, he had made enemies of many of the nominally Ottoman, but practically independent rulers in Tunis and the adjoining hinterland, and several of them concluded an alliance in
1560 with Viceroy Cerda of Sicily, who had orders from King
Philip II of Spain to join his forces in an effort to capture Tripoli. This campaign ended in failure when the Ottoman fleet under the command of Piyale Pasha and Turgut Reis defeated the fleet of the ''Holy League'' of Philip II in the
Battle of Djerba.
In March
1561 Turgut Reis and
Uluj Ali captured Vincenzo Cicala and Luigi Osorio near the island of
Marettimo. In June 1561 Turgut landed on the island of
Stromboli. In July 1561 he captured seven Maltese galleys under the command of knight Guimarens, whom he later freed for a ransom of 3,000 gold ducats. After stopping at Gozo to replenish his galleys with water, he sailed back to Tripoli. In August 1561 he laid siege to the city of Naples and blocked the port with 35 galleys.
In April
1562 sent scout ships to explore all corners of the island of
Malta. Still in 1562 he laid siege to
Oran which was under Spanish control.
In
1563 he landed at the shores of the province of
Granada and captured the coastal settlements in the area like
Almuñécar, along with 4,000 prisoners. He later landed at
Málaga. In April 1563 he supported the fleet of
Salih Reis with 20 galleys during the Ottoman siege of Oran, bombarding the Fortress of
Mers-el-Kebir. In September 1563 he sailed to Naples and captured six ships near the island of
Capri, which carried valuable goods and Spanish soldiers. He later landed at the
Chiaia neighbourhood of Naples and captured it. From there he sailed to Liguria and Sardinia, raiding the coastal towns, particularly
Oristano,
Marcellino and
Ercolento. He then sailed to the Adriatic Sea and landed on the coasts of Puglia and
Abruzzo. He later landed twice at San Giovanni near Messina with a force of 28 galleys. In October 1563 he sailed towards Capo Passero in Sicily and later landed once more on Gozo, where he briefly fought against the knights.
Siege of Malta and Death
When Sultan Suleiman ordered the
Siege of Malta in
1565, Turgut Reis joined Piyale Pasha and the Ottoman forces with 1,600 men (3,000 according to some sources) and 15 ships (13 galleys and 2 galliots; while some sources mention 17 ships) on 31 May. He landed his troops at the entrance of
Marsa Muscietto, a cape which is now named 'Dragut Point' after Turgut Reis. There he met with
Lala Mustafa, commander of the Ottoman land forces, who was besieging
Fort St. Elmo. He advised him to first capture the citadel of Gozo and Mdina (the old capital city of Malta) as soon as possible, but this advice was not taken. He also arranged for more cannon fire to be concentrated on the recently-built Fort St. Elmo which controlled the entrance of the
Grand Harbour and seemed weaker than the other forts; joining the bombardment with 30 of his own cannons. In only 24 hours the Ottomans fired 6000 cannon shots. Realizing that Fort St. Elmo and
Fort St Angelo (the main headquarters of the Knights on the other side of the Grand Harbour) could still communicate with each other, Turgut Reis ordered a complete siege of Fort St. Elmo with the aim of isolating it from Fort St. Angelo. On
17 June, during the bombardment of the fort, a cannon shot from Fort St. Angelo across the Grand Harbour struck the ground close to the Turkish battery. Debris from the impact mortally injured Turgut Reis, who lived until
23 June 1565, just long enough to hear the news of the capture of Fort St. Elmo.
Turgut's advice to capture Mdina and Gozo was never taken, to the detriment of the Ottomans. Forces from Mdina in particular, harried Turkish troops for the remainder of the Siege, and at one point prevented the key city of
Senglea from falling into Ottoman hands.
His body was taken to Tripoli by
Uluç Ali Reis and buried there.
Legacy
Monument of Turgut Reis in his hometown
Several warships of the
Turkish Navy and passenger ships have been named after Turgut Reis.
Turgut Reis continues to enjoy great fame and respect in Turkey, where the city of his birth is named
Turgutreis.
In several coastal towns of
Liguria in
Italy, Turgut Reis is remembered with the annual Dragut Festival.
See also
★
Turkish Navy
★
History of the Turkish Navy
External links
★
Bodrum City Guide
★
Chronological list of important dates and events in the life of Turgut Reis (Italian)
★
Municipality of Turgutreis
★
Privateering History: Dragut Reis
★
Almuñécar: Watchtowers and Coastal Defences
★
Capraia Island and Dragut
★
Turgut Reis and Sinan Pasha
Literature
★ E. Hamilton Currey, ''Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean,'', London, 1910
★ Bono, Salvatore: ''Corsari nel Mediterraneo'' (''Corsairs in the Mediterranean''), Oscar Storia Mondadori. Perugia, 1993.
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