The previous days were marked by the "walk" of the Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis in the Aegean - and in particular in the Greek continental shelf. What is not particularly well known, however, is the story of the person who gave his name to the Turkish vessel. After all, his Greek roots are one of the unknown but important points in his history.
Oruc Reis was born on Lesvos and was the brother of Hizir, later Hayreddin Barbarossa, the famous Ottoman pirate and later admiral of the Turkish navy. His father was of Turkish and Albanian origin, born in Giannitsa, while his mother was Greek. In particular, his mother, Katerina, was an orthodox Christian and came from Lesbos. The younger brother of Oruc and Hayreddin, he had the Greek name Ilias.
The father's family business was based on pottery and the pottery trade, based in Lesbos. At some point, and while they were trading pottery and other products at sea – where they had begun to distinguish themselves – Oruc and Ilias were captured by the Knights of Rhodes. Elias was killed, while Oruc served as a slave.
After the capture, Oruc strongly considered staying on Lesvos but eventually fate had his way and he met his second brother, Hayreddin, again. Both went down in the history of pirates and mankind as the infamous Barbarossa brothers. They carried out many piratical campaigns around the Mediterranean and became famous for their administrative skills.
For the Turks, Oruc Reis remains one of the symbols of their national sovereignty, since – as Turkish books write – he established the Ottoman presence in North Africa and resisted the Christian invasion, ensuring that Islam would remain in the region. At the same time, he laid the foundations of Turkish rule in Algeria, while every young man should know this epic name, who lost his hand and became a martyr while fighting against the Venetians, in the Mediterranean.
"Oruc Reis was one of the sea wolves, an example of courage and heroism who carried out border raids, carrying out intimidation and sea-conquering activities," write Turkish books. For this reason the Turks honored their hero, giving his name to their research ship.
SOURCE:SPUTNIK