Salih Reis Salih Reis ( 1488 ca . – 1568 ) was a Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral . He is alternatively referred to as " Salah Rais " , " Sala Reis " , " Salih Rais " , " Salek Rais " and " Cale Arraez " in several European resources , particularly in Spain , France and Italy . In 1529 , together with Aydın Reis , he took part in the Turkish - Spanish battle near the Isle of Formentera , during which the Ottoman forces destroyed the Spanish fleet , whose commander , Rodrigo Portundo , died in combat . In 1538 he commanded the right wing of the Turkish fleet at the naval Battle of Preveza , where the Ottoman forces under Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha defeated the Holy League of Charles V under the command of Andrea Doria . In 1551 , due to his success in the conquest of Tripoli ( Libya ) together with Turgut Reis and Sinan Pasha , he was promoted to the rank of Pasha and became the Beylerbey i ( Ottoman equivalent of Grand Duke ) of Algiers and the " Bahriye Beylerbeyi " ( Admiral ) of the Ottoman West Mediterranean Fleet . Background and early career . Salih Reis was born in Biga , a village between Çanakkale and Edremit , near Kaz Dağı ( Mount Ida ) to the south of ancient Troy , on the Aegean coast of Turkey , in around 1488 . At a very young age he joined the fleet of Oruç Reis ( Aruj Barbarossa ) , the most famous of the Turkish corsairs and privateers from Anatolia who sought fortune in the West Mediterranean by operating from their bases on the Barbary Coast . He gained experience in seamanship as a crew member of the Barbarossa brothers , Oruç Reis and Hızır Reis , and soon became one of their chief lieutenants . Salih Reis was around 30 years old when Oruç Reis died in 1518 during a battle against the Spaniards in Algeria . From 1518 onwards , he joined the fleet of Hızır Reis , who inherited the title of " Barbarossa " from his older brother , " Baba Oruç " ( Father Aruj ) . In 1520 he went to Djerba together with Hızır Reis and Turgut Reis , and later that year assaulted Bône , which was under Spanish control . Career in the Ottoman Navy . In 1529 , commanding a force of 14 galliot s , Salih Reis assaulted the Gulf of Valencia before joining the fleet of Aydın Reis which took part in the Turkish - Spanish War near the Isle of Formentera , where the Ottoman forces destroyed the Spanish fleet , whose commander , Rodrigo Portundo , died in combat . During the war , Salih Reis captured the galley of Captain Tortosa and took the son of Admiral Portundo , the Spanish commander , as a prisoner of war . When the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent summoned Barbarossa to Constantinople , who set sail in August 1532 , Salih Reis took part in Barbarossa ' s fleet . Having raided Sardinia , Bonifacio in Corsica , the Islands of Montecristo , Elba and Lampedusa , they captured 18 galleys near Messina and learned from the captured prisoners that Andrea Doria , the Genoese admiral in service of Charles V , was on his way to Preveza . Barbarossa proceeded to raid the nearby coasts of Calabria and then sailed towards Preveza . Doria ' s forces fled after a short battle , but only after Barbarossa , accompanied by Salih Reis and Murat Reis , had captured seven of their galleys . Barbarossa arrived at Preveza with a total of 44 galleys , but sent 25 of them back to Algiers and headed to Constantinople with 19 ships , one of which was commanded by Salih Reis , who , along with Murat Reis , was one of the 19 men received by Suleiman the Magnificent at Topkapı Palace . Suleiman appointed Barbarossa " Kaptan - ı Derya " ( Fleet Admiral ) of the Ottoman Navy and " Beylerbey " ( Chief Governor ) of North Africa . Barbarossa was also given the government of the Sanjak ( Province ) of Rhodes and those of Euboea and Chios in the Aegean Sea . Salih Reis , on the other hand , was promoted to the rank of Navy Colonel . In 1533 Barbarossa and Salih Reis operated together against the Spanish - controlled ports in the Mediterranean Sea . In July 1535 Salih Reis was appointed by Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha for the task of defending Tunis . Accompanied by Cafer Reis and very few Turkish soldiers , Salih Reis encountered the forces of Girolamo Tuttavilla , Count of Sarno , whose fortress was near the city walls of La Goulette . Salih Reis pretended to retreat , and eventually routed and trapped the forces of Tuttavilla , who followed him . Tuttavilla was killed in combat , and his fortress was captured by the Turks . Still in July 1535 , Salih Reis assisted Hasan Reis ( later Hasan Pasha ) , the son of Barbarossa , in governing Algiers . In 1536 Barbarossa and Salih Reis were called back to Constantinople to take command of the Ottoman naval attack on the Habsburg Kingdom of Naples . In July 1537 the Turks landed at Otranto and captured the city , as well as the Fortress of Castro and the city of Ugento in Puglia . In August 1537 , Lütfi Pasha and Barbarossa led a huge Ottoman force , in which Salih Reis also took part , that captured the Aegean and Ionian islands belonging to the Republic of Venice , namely Syros , Aegina , Ios , Paros , Tinos , Karpathos , Kasos and Naxos . In the same year Barbarossa captured Corfu from Venice and once again raided Calabria . These losses caused Venice to ask Pope Paul III to organize a " Holy League " against the Ottomans . Battle of Preveza . In February 1538 , Pope Paul III succeeded in assembling a Holy League ( comprising the Papacy , Spain , the Holy Roman Empire , the Republic of Venice and the Maltese Knights ) against the Ottomans , which was to be commanded by Andrea Doria , the chief admiral of Charles V , Holy Roman Emperor . Salih Reis , now a " Bahriye Sancakbeyi " ( Rear Admiral , Upper Half ) commanded the 24 galleys which formed the right wing of the Ottoman fleet during the Battle of Preveza in September 1538 , in which the numerically inferior Turkish forces of Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha won an overwhelming victory over the Holy League under the command of Andrea Doria . In one of the most famous incidents of the battle , Salih Reis and his men boarded and assaulted the " Galeone di Venezia " ( Galleon of Venice ) , the huge Venetian flagship under the command of Alessandro Condalmiero ( Bondumier ) , together with two other Venetian galleys which were drifted away from the rest of the Venetian fleet due to the heavy loss of oarsmen which resulted from the bitter fighting . Recapture of Castelnuovo and the conquest of Venetian islands in the Aegean . In June 1539 Salih Reis set sail from Constantinople with 20 galleys , and near Cape Maleo joined the fleet of Barbarossa which was appointed with the mission of recapturing Castelnuovo ( Herceg Novi ) from the Venetians . On the way to Castelnuovo their combined fleet captured the islands of Skiathos , Skyros , Andros and Serifos from the Venetians . In August 1539 Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha , Turgut Reis and Salih Reis laid siege to Castelnuovo and took the city back . They also captured the nearby Castle of Risan and later assaulted the Venetian fortress of Cattaro and the Spanish fortress of Santa Veneranda near Pesaro . The Turkish fleet later took the remaining Christian outposts in the Ionian and Aegean Seas . Venice finally signed a peace treaty with Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in October 1540 , agreeing to recognize the Turkish territorial gains and to pay 300 , 000 gold ducats . Operations on the French coast and Catalonia . According to some Turkish resources , in 1540 , Salih Reis was together with Turgut Reis in Girolata , Corsica , where the two were captured by the combined forces of Giannettino Doria ( Andrea Doria ' s nephew ) , Giorgio Doria and Gentile Virginio Orsini while repairing their ships at the harbour . These sources also mention that Salih Reis and Turgut Reis were both forced to become oar slaves in Genoese ships until they were liberated by Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha in 1544 , who threatened to attack the port of Genoa with his massive fleet of 210 ships . French , Italian and Spanish sources , however , acknowledge the captivity ( 1540 ) and liberation ( 1544 ) of Turgut Reis , but make no mention of the captivity of Salih Reis . It is probable that the close friendship between Salih Reis and Turgut Reis and their numerous joint operations may have possibly caused a confusion . In fact , according to French , Italian and Spanish sources , Salih Reis took part in the Franco - Ottoman conquest of Nice ( Nizza ) on 5 August 1543 , which was commanded by Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha . According to the same sources , following the conquest of Nice , Salih Reis commanded the Ottoman force of 20 galleys and 3 fustas which assaulted the Costa Brava in Catalonia , Spain , in that same year . In early October 1543 , Salih Reis landed his troops at Rosas and sacked the city . The following day , Salih Reis appeared at the Medas Islands ( Illes Medes ) about 1 km off the coast of L ' Estartit , before proceeding to Palafrugell and Palamós , the latter being severely sacked following a fierce battle for its capture . From there Salih Reis proceeded to the nearby San Juan de Palamós , which was likewise sacked , and captured the Spanish galley " Bribona " off the coast of Calelh , a fishing village in the area . He later landed his troops at Empúries ( Ampurias ) and Cadaqués , capturing and sacking both cities , before sailing to Algiers . He was spotted sailing together with Barbarossa in the spring of 1544 . Operations in Sicily , Malta and the West Mediterranean . In mid June 1548 Salih Reis appeared at Capo Passero in Sicily with a force of 18 ships , before appearing at Gozo in Malta with 12 ships – having sent 6 of his ships to Algiers where they would join Turgut Reis , upon the order that he received from Hüseyin Çelebi . In the Autumn of 1550 Andrea Doria contacted Salih Reis and attempted to convince him for serving Spain instead of the Ottoman Empire , but failed . Conquest of Tripoli ( Libya ) and subsequent promotion to the rank of Bahriye Beylerbeyi of Algiers . In June – August 1551 , Salih Reis joined the fleet of Sinan Pasha and Turgut Reis , and played an important role in the conquest of Tripoli ( Libya ) , which had been a possession of the Knights of St . John since 1530 , when it was given to them by Charles V of Spain . He bombarded the fortress of the Knights from a distance of approximately 150 steps , eventually forcing Gaspare de Villers , their commander , to surrender . Salih Reis returned to Constantinople , where , due to his success in the conquest of Tripoli , he was promoted to the rank of " Bahriye Beylerbeyi " ( Admiral ) of the Ottoman West Mediterranean Fleet and was appointed as the Beylerbey i ( the Ottoman equivalent of Grand Duke ) of Algiers in 1551 . In April 1552 he reached Algiers , and later set sail towards Sicily , where he captured a Maltese ship . In the summer of 1552 , he joined the forces of Turgut Reis who landed at the Gulf of Naples , and together with him later assaulted the coasts of Lazio and Tuscany . From there Salih Reis sailed to Marseille , before capturing and sacking the Island of Majorca ( Mallorca ) . Marching overland to the Sahara Desert ( 1552 ) . From Majorca he sailed back to Algiers , where he prepared his troops to march overland to the Sahara Desert and expand the Ottoman Vilayet ( Province ) of Algeria inwards . The troops advanced south and captured the city of Touggourt , built around an oasis in southern Algeria . From there the Turks marched towards Ouargla , finding a ghost city whose inhabitants fled upon hearing their arrival . Reestablishment of the Wattassid King in Fes . In 1549 , the new ruler of Morocco , Mohammed ash - Sheikh successfully ousted the Wattasid sultan Ali Abu Hassun , the latter ruled only over Fes and its region and had just declared himself a vassal of the Ottomans . ash - Sheikh even captured Tlemcen ending the Abdelwadid dynasty rule over the city . He was now advancing further east in Algeria and attacked the Ottoman Turks . This triggered an Ottoman counterattack , who recaptured Tlemcen in 1552 and advanced to Fes where they reestablished the Wattasid king Ali Abu Hassun in 1554 , in turn he rewarded them with the port of " Badis " on the Mediterranean coast , which had been previously captured from the Spanish in 1522 . But this lasted only a few months as in September 1554 , Mohammed ash - Sheikh recaptured Fes and defeated Abu Hassun and his Ottoman allies , in the battle of Tadla . Return to Algeria . In 1555 the French Navy , then allied with the Ottoman Empire of Suleiman the Magnificent , sent a detachment to Algiers for asking the assistance of Salih Reis against the Spaniards . Salih Reis accepted the request and conceded 22 of his galleys , carrying Turkish soldiers and cannons , to the service of the French fleet . Later , with his remaining force of 40 , 000 men , he laid siege to Bougie . After 14 days of continuous artillery bombardment , he destroyed the two main defenses of the city walls : the Fortress of Vergelette which controlled the entrance of the port , and the Spanish castle which stood right in front of the city walls . The Spanish Governor of Bougie , Alfonso di Peralta , decided to make peace with Salih Reis instead of continuing to defend the city until the bitter end . According to the pact , the Turks allowed all the surviving Spanish inhabitants of Bougie to safely return to Spain with their belongings , and the Spanish forces to take away their cannons and weapons . However , even though the Governor , Alfonso di Peralta , could sail safely to Valencia , together with 20 of his high - ranking officials , on a French ship , some of the Spanish civilians ( around 400 men , 120 women and 100 children ) were captured and enslaved by the corsairs operating in the area . Alfonso di Peralta was arrested as soon as he entered the port of Valencia and Charles V ordered his execution for treason , which took place in a public square of Valladolid . Later that year , Salih Reis conquered Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera from the Spaniards , before sailing to Constantinople where he was received by the Sultan . Sieges of Oran , 1556 and 1563 . In 1556 he left Constantinople and set sail towards the Spanish stronghold of Oran in Algeria , which he assaulted with a force of 30 galleys . He destroyed the Spanish forts defending the entrance of the port , but could not capture the city itself due to the fierce resistance by the local population as well as the Spanish army garrison . He then retreated his fleet to Algiers . In April 1563 , commanding a force of 10 , 000 soldiers , he once again laid siege to Oran and Mers - el - Kébir , this time also with the assistance of Turgut Reis who supported him with a force of 20 ships and 20 pieces of siege artillery . Oran once again defended itself to the bitter end , until it was saved by a large Spanish force which arrived in June , but the Turks bombarded and destroyed the Fortress of Mers - el - Kébir . Siege of Malta , 1565 . In August 1565 Salih Reis took part in the Turkish Siege of Malta and commanded a force of 15 , 000 soldiers which attacked Fort Saint Michael . Towards the end of August he managed to set up a powerful mine which breached the walls of Castiglia , and attacked the bastion with 4 , 000 men . In the meantime , Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha commanded the main attack against Fort Saint Michael , until he was almost killed by a cannon fire which severely wounded him . Salih Reis then took his place and placed his troops around the ruins of the Bastion of Castiglia . The Turks managed to capture Fort Saint Elmo on the main island , but at the cost of too many casualties , including the famous Turgut Reis who was 80 years old when he died in Malta , shortly before the capture of Fort Saint Elmo . The siege was eventually lifted when a large Christian fleet that was assembled to support the Maltese Knights reached the island . Death in Algiers , 1568 . The Siege of Malta was also the final mission of Salih Reis , who was around 77 years old at that time . He died in Algiers 3 years later , in 1568 , close to the age of 80 , just like his lifelong friend Turgut Reis . Interestingly , Turgutlu and Salihli are two neighbouring town centers within the Province of Manisa in the Aegean Region of Turkey . Legacy . Salih Reis was from the generation of great Turkish seamen in the 16th century such as Kemal Reis , Oruç Reis , Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha , Turgut Reis , Kurtoğlu Muslihiddin Reis , Piri Reis , Piyale Pasha , Murat Reis and Seydi Ali Reis . He played an important role in the Battle of Preveza ( 1538 ) which secured the Turkish domination of the Mediterranean during his lifetime , until the Battle of Lepanto ( 1571 ) which took place 3 years after his death . He vastly enlarged the Ottoman territories in northwestern Africa and extended them to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean . Several warships of the Turkish Navy have been named after Salih Reis .