Turgutreis

"They have dared the white republics up the cape of Italy, they have dashed the Adriatic round the lion of the sea . . . "

That poem Lepanto by GK Chesterton commemorates the sea battle of 1571 when a western fleet checked Ottoman expansion in the Med, and the balance of power on land swung towards Austria-Hungary. But in the preceding decades, that expansion was swift and inexorable, and the outstanding Ottoman navy commander was Turgut Reis (1485-1565), also known as Dragut or Torghoud. He was born here in Karatoprak, and was all of 12 when his talent was spotted. He had a glittering career but was fatally wounded during the siege of Malta. He gives his name to several Turkish ships, such as the frigate F-241, and in 1972 Karatoprak was renamed Turgutreis in his honour.

It's possible that his family were Greek Christians, but the Ottomans captured Bodrum in 1522 and the area became Islamic. (Bodrum's previous holders, the Knights Hospitaller, scuttled off to Malta without battle but resisted the later siege there.) These bays and coves then became a sleepy backwater for the next 400 years, until the even swifter inexorable advance of western tourism. Within a few years hotels, apartment blocks and city-dwellers' holiday homes encrusted the coast. One famous resident was the artist Burhan Doğançay (1929-2013) who divided his last years between New York and Turgutreis. His artistic schtick was about walls as mirrors and emblems of urban life, and there were enough here to satisfy him.

Long-distance travel is via Bodrum at the pinch-point on the peninsula. This is 35 km from Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV IATA) and has buses from Istanbul (11 hr), Izmir (3 hr) and other cities. These arrive at Yeni Otogar, the new bus station 5 km northeast of the city, and terminus for local buses.

Bus 2-34 runs from Yeni Otogar to downtown Bodrum, Gürece, İslamhaneleri, Akçaalan and Turgutreis, every ten minutes daily 07:00-00:00.

Bus 2-4 runs from Yeni Otogar to downtown Bodrum, Konacık, Gürece, Bağla and Akyarlar at the south tip of the peninsula, M-Sa hourly 08:00-19:00.

By road follow D330 west past Bodrum. For Akyarlar you could also wind along the south coast road, which is narrow but tarmac.

Ferries no longer sail to Turgutreis from the Greek islands of Kos, Kalymnos or Leros. Use the Greek ferry network to reach Kos then take the fast catamaran to Bodrum.

With your own boat, Turgutreis is not a Port of Entry into Turkey so if you arrive from Greek waters, you need to sail first to Bodrum to clear immigration and customs. Both sides are vigilant for small craft dodging across the border and up to no good.