14 Facts About Ottoman Navy

Ottoman Navy, known as the Ottoman Fleet, was the naval warfare arm of the Ottoman Empire.

At its height in the 16th century, the Ottoman Navy extended to the Indian Ocean, sending an expedition to Indonesia in 1565, and by the early 17th century operated as far as the Atlantic.

Commensurate with the decline and modernization of the empire in the late 18th century, the Ottoman Navy stagnated, albeit remaining among the largest in the world: with nearly 200 warships, including 21 battleships, it ranked third after the British and French navies.

Much of its history, the Ottoman Navy was led by the Kapudan Pasha ; this position was abolished in 1867, when it was replaced by the Minister of the Ottoman Navy and a number of Fleet Commanders .

Between 1387 and 1423 the Ottoman Navy fleet contributed to the territorial expansions of the Ottoman Navy Empire on the Balkan peninsula and the Black Sea coasts of Anatolia.

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In 1453 the Ottoman Navy fleet participated in the historic conquests of Constantinople, Gokceada, Lemnos and Thasos.

In 1462 the Ottoman Navy fleet conquered the Genoese islands of the northern Aegean Sea, which were administered by the Gattilusio family, including their capital Mytilene in the island of Lesbos.

In 1527 the Ottoman Navy fleet participated in the conquest of Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, and Bosnia.

In 1543 the Ottoman Navy fleet participated with French forces in the siege of Nice, which at the time was part of the Duchy of Savoy.

Ottoman Navy engaged in blockades of Georgia's western coast during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in order to coerce local kingdoms into submission.

In 1875, during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz, the Ottoman Navy had 21 battleships and 173 other types of warships, ranking as the third largest navy in the world after the British and French navies.

The Ottoman Navy was rapidly becoming obsolete, and needed to replace all her warships once a decade to keep up with the pace in technological progress – which, given the dismal state of the economy, was clearly not an option.

The poor condition of the fleet became evident during the Ottoman Naval Parade of 1910, and the Ottoman Navy Foundation was established by the Ottoman government in order to purchase new ships through public donations.

The better condition of the Greek fleet in the Aegean Sea during the Balkan Wars led to the liberation of all Ottoman Navy-held Aegean islands other than those in the Italian-occupied Dodecanese.